Republicans in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Thursday blocked a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have created proactive protections for abortion rights in the state. New Hampshire is the only state in New England where such abortion rights are not enshrined in state law.
Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk’s price cuts are expected to benefit many Granite Staters who need insulin to survive. The companies first announced the moves last year, as a response to an American Rescue Plan provision that threatened to penalize them if they kept prices high.
State House Democrats, allies, and supporters held a press conference Monday morning offering a new plan for inserting proactive protections for abortion rights into state law after several rejections by New Hampshire Republicans. New Hampshire currently stands as the only state in New England without affirmative protections on abortion in state law.
Under a plan announced Thursday, the government would consider overriding the patent for high-priced drugs that have been developed with the help of taxpayer money and letting competitors make them in hopes of driving down the cost.
The Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act of 2023 would “comprehensively address the skyrocketing costs of insulin.”
