Dakota Times

After PhRMA sued the State of Minnesota for legislation that would make insulin companies provide free insulin to those who cannot afford it, Sens. John Jasinski (R-Faribault) and Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) issued statements on how they disapprove of the lawsuit.

Jasinski issued his statement on the PhRMA lawsuit against the Alec Smith Affordable Insulin Act by saying a lot has gone into the bill just for PhRMA to sue the state. 

“A lot of people spent a lot of time and energy to get this compromise done, for one reason: We all wanted to help people afford their insulin so they can simply stay alive," Jasinski said in a press release from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus. "It’s incredibly disappointing that PhRMA would swoop in on the day the bill was to take effect, two and a half months after it passed, to attempt to permanently block that good, important work.”

Nelson issued a similar statement, calling the lawsuit "abhorrent."

“The pharmaceutical industry’s decision to sue in order to stop the Alec Smith Insulin Act is abhorrent. It is particularly cruel to do so on the day the act was to take effect," Nelson said in a press release from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus. "The Alec Smith Insulin bill will help people afford the medicine they need to just stay alive. I will continue working to make sure people in crisis can always get insulin.”