On strong votes the Minnesota House and Senate have both passed a compromise insulin assistance package, which now goes to Governor Tim Walz who will likely sign it. Nicole Smith-Holt, whose son Alec died because he couldn’t afford insulin, says she knew the measure would eventually become law in Minnesota. Smith-Holt choked back tears as she told reporters, “A little voice… in my heart, I think Alec was telling me not to stop, that it will happen. And I feel it happening.”
Instead of paying a fee to fund a state-run program as Democrats wanted, insulin manufacturers face multi-million-dollar fines if they do not comply. Smith-Holt says she believes those measures are strong enough. Opponents of the bill say it’s not necessary because manufacturers are already making insulin available to those who can’t afford it.