Friends and Neighbors,
Greetings from the Capitol! We have made the transition from our Fairbanks office to Juneau. The Fairbanks office phone has been forwarded to Juneau so please use the local Fairbanks number or the toll-free number on the left.
As we prepare for the upcoming session I wanted to share with you a series of legislation I pre-filed on the topic of prescription drugs. I will be filing more legislation on other topics as the session progresses. If you have ideas for legislation or an issue please contact my office.
Prescription Drug Legislation
During my time in the State Legislature, I have heard from constituents both young and old on the hardships of paying for prescription medications. This session, I have again introduced legislation aimed at lowering the cost for the State and its residents.
Alaska has one of the fasting growing senior populations in the country. Prescription drugs costs have been on the rise for many years – placing a larger and larger burden on our seniors. No one should have to choose between groceries and their medication.
The legislation consists of six bills each aiming to reduce costs in a different way.
· HB 42 addresses discount regulations by placing requirements on pharmacies and the Department of Health and Social Services.
· HB 43 requires the use of generic drugs when appropriate to lower costs.
· HB 44 establishes a prescription drug card program for discounts and allows the State to negotiate drug prices.
· HB 45 allows for savings through reporting of marketing costs.
· HB 46 establishes an Alaska Prescription Drug Task Force whose mission is to make recommendations on how to lower costs.
· HB 47 allows for public access to a database of clinical trials performed in Alaska.
Please click on any of the bill numbers to access the full text of the legislation.
Board of Regents Positions
Regents Cynthia Henry, Eric Drygas and student regent Ashton Compton – all of the current Regents from the Interior – have reached the end of their terms on the University Board of Regents. I thank them each for their service to the University of Alaska and our State.
I, along with other members of the Interior Delegation, have urged the Governor to appoint Interior residents to fill the vacant seats. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an economic driver of the State and needs to have continued strong representation on the board.
Thank you for reading and please feel free to contact my office to share your ideas.
