On the penultimate day of the legislative session, a bill came out of a conference committee with a major change that has led to a massive lobbying campaign from CVS. The change to House Bill 358 would ban pharmacy benefit managers from owning pharmacies. Supporters say that would stop big companies from using their buying power to squeeze out local independent pharmacies. CVS, on the other hand, says it would force it to close all 119 of its pharmacies in the state and put some 27-hundred employees out of work. The House passed it on a vote of 88-to-4. It’s a Senate vote away from reaching Governor Landry’s desk.
The legislature has passed a bill requiring state agencies to track the immigration status of those receiving public services. New Iberia Republican Blake Miguez:
Cut 6 (11) “…taxpayer dollars.”
Lawmakers pass a bill allowing lawsuits against out-of-state doctors and others who provide or facilitate abortion pills to Louisiana residents, even by mail. Louisiana Right to Life Policy Director Erica Inzina says it responds to a case involving a New York doctor accused of sending such pills to a Louisiana minor.
Cut 10 (12) “…made that possible.”
Louisiana’s film industry could see a revival following the passage of Senate Bill 232, which updates the state’s film tax incentive program. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says the new law removes outdated caps, including a 20-million-dollar limit on production costs and a three-million-dollar-per-person payroll cap.