House Votes to Repeal Drug Immunity
The Michigan House of Representatives voted on Thursday to repeal the 1995 law that gave the pharmaceutical industry almost complete immunity from any lititgation surrounding their products. House Bill 4044 was introduced by State Representative Mike Simpson (D-65, Liberty Township) was passed by a vote of 70-39.The National Association of Manufacturers had previously refered to the Simpson bill as "threatening Michigan jobs with extinction." MichBio was also very critical of this proposal; again arguing that it would hurt Michigan's economy.
I have to say that NAM and MichBio were right about this one. If this bill eventually becomes law, every single one of the new jobs that were created in the Great Lakes State as a result of it will certainly be lost. Michigan residents will also likely lose the huge discounts in drug prices that happened as a result of Merck and others saving billions of dollars in settlement claims.
Oh, wait! I forgot.
There weren't any new jobs created in Michigan when we have the drug companies this kind of immunity and our medicines didn't get any cheaper.
Of course, it is always a possiblity that the pharmaceutical industry could relocate a large number of their jobs outside of Michigan. You know, to one of those other states that doesn't give immunity from litigation or cash to help them grow their business.
