A quick update on violence prevention and prescription drugs
January 4, 2020
December is usually fairly quiet around the legislature, but senators are still hard at work. Here are updates about a couple of issues we worked on last month that you may have missed in the chaos of the holidays.
Insulin and prescription drugs: The Insulin Working Group met before the holidays to provide a status update to the public. The group is close to reaching a compromise agreement that will provide insulin to those who urgently need it and help people avoid emergency situations or insulin rationing. There are still a few details to be worked out, but I am optimistic we will have a solution this session.
The good news is that, by-and-large, the health plans addressed this issue on their own over the summer and fall. Each plan announced they will voluntarily cap out-of-pocket insulin costs for their customers, including those on MNsure. Those caps vary by provider, but generally are around $25 or less. Health insurers told us they are able to offer these prices due to Republican reforms like reinsurance, and member premiums will not be impacted.
Many families remain concerned about the price of prescription drugs in general, and for good reason. But we are making important progress on the issue. Last session, Republicans passed new regulations on pharmacy middlemen, requiring them to disclose rebates and other financial information so you can save money on your prescriptions. The new regulations took effect on January 1.
Last year Republicans also passed legislation directing the Board of Pharmacy to provide a public resource that will help Minnesotans save money on their prescription drugs. That resource is now up-and-running. You can view it at the following address: https://mn.gov/boards/pharmacy/public/savingonprescriptiondrugs.jsp.
When the legislature reconvenes in 2020, Republicans will also introduce legislation that will help you get cheaper Canadian prescription drug prices at your local pharmacy, without sacrificing quality or the vast amount of choices we have.
Violence prevention hearings: It seems like every night you can turn on the news and see reports of violence in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis and St. Paul couldn’t even make it one day into 2020 without their first homicides. In the wake of each attack there are predictably calls for stronger restrictions on gun ownership for law abiding Minnesotans.
I am not interested in passing new laws just to make us feel better; I am only interested in what works. And before we even consider new laws, we need to know what laws are on the books and what can be strengthened. That was the subject of the first of two Senate hearings on violence prevention, which we held in mid-December.
Two interesting facts we learned: first, for years and years, local judges have routinely ignored Minnesota’s mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes. In fact, judges and prosecutors skipped over mandatory minimum sentences 40% of the time. It makes one wonder: if prosecutors and judges aren’t honoring existing gun laws, what good will new ones accomplish?
Second, the Senate’s leading gun control advocate, Sen. Ron Latz, acknowledged that most gun crimes have an underlying cause like gang activity or addiction.
Republicans have been making this point for quite a while: if we ever hope to curb gun violence, we must first address the root causes of that violence. This is just one reason why Republicans have made mental health such a strong priority over the last three years.
Violence prevention will be on the agenda in 2020, but I can assure you that as a strong Second Amendment supporter, I will not support new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.