LANSING — State Senators John Damoose and Ed McBroom voted against a package of bills that would lower the cost of prescription drugs for Michiganders. The Michigan Senate passed a package of bills designed to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Senator Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) and Senator Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe) introduced Senate Bills 483, 484 and 485 that would establish a PDAB to help make life-saving prescriptions more affordable for Michigan residents and make pharmaceutical companies more accountable to the people of Michigan.
Despite giving speeches agreeing that there is a need to lower the cost of prescription drugs, each Senator then explained that they would indeed vote no. McBroom mentioned that there are many costs that need to be lowered but offered no solutions to lower any costs but only used higher costs in other sectors as an excuse to vote no.
Pharma which is the lobbyist organization for large drug makers lobbied members of the Senate to vote no pointing out that lowering costs for average people would lead to fewer profits for the shareholders of large drug makers who trade stocks on Wall Street. Yet, while 15.6 percent of Upper Peninsula residents live below the poverty level, both Senators decided to vote against lowering costs for Michigan families.
The package of bills passed the Senate 20-17 despite the no votes from the two Senators who represent the Upper Peninsula. The bills now awaits action in the Michigan House of Representatives.
