That’s all, Minnesotans. The legislative session has come to a close, and while we can celebrate the work of DFLers protecting health care for over a million Minnesotans and responding to our state’s growing opioid crisis, lots of the issues and measures that Minnesotans care about most were left out.
Why? Because Republicans blocked them.
Paid family leave? Blocked. Equal Rights Amendment? Blocked. Common-sense gun violence prevention measures? Blocked. These were the things that Minnesotans demanded and rallied for all session, and Republicans refused to listen.
Republicans even blocked the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act from the final Health and Human Services bill, and the excuses came right away.
#mnleg – When I asked @paulgazelka about the fate of the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, this is what I got.
He can tell @SenatorBenson to reopen the committee for five minutes to ensure this mysterious document is included.
The bill hasn’t been signed yet.#insulin4all pic.twitter.com/ewRm0GLlWT
— Kim Munson – M.Ed. (@KimberlyMunson5) May 23, 2019
Minnesotans, understandably, were shocked and upset. As big pharma companies continue to gouge the prices of insulin, Minnesotans with diabetes can’t wait any longer. Alec Smith died because he couldn’t afford the outrageous price of his insulin, and many more Minnesotans struggle to pay for the insulin they need to survive. But instead of taking action when the time was right, Republicans are now trying to backpedal, feign concern, and deflect blame.
Minnesotans affected by Type 1 diabetes aren’t buying it, and neither are we. Sign up to receive updates from ABM and together we can stand up for progressive values and hold conservatives accountable.
