Public hearings this first week of the legislative session have not broken Democrat and Republicans’ stalemate over insulin assistance. The sticking point remains whether drug makers should be charged a fee to help pay for the program. Governor Tim Walz says he does *not* think any agreement is close, but, “I’m gonna remain hopeful that the process is now working in the open. Maybe they’re making compromises. I know the House bill is reflective of the compromises we made.”
Walz says maybe Republicans putting Chaska Senator Scott Jensen as lead author on their bill is “to open up a new path.” But the governor says there have been no talks among legislative leaders.
Meanwhile rumors are circulating that insulin manufacturers could sue if the legislature passes a bill putting a fee on them. Governor Walz says about that, “If they’re gonna dig in and continue [to oppose] what polls better than apple pie — that Minnesotans want their neighbors to get their insulin — they can do that, but I certainly wouldn’t give ’em that advice.”