Latest news with #SB119
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Hampshire lawmakers move to make ivermectin an over-the-counter medication
Ivermectin gained notoriety during the pandemic when people began using it as a treatment for COVID-19. Research was conducted on whether the drug could be repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. However, that research was never able to prove ivermectin was effective at treating the virus. (Getty Images) State lawmakers are pushing to allow ivermectin — an antiparasitic drug that became notorious during the COVID-19 pandemic — to be purchased without a prescription in New Hampshire. And they're doing it by tacking on a provision to a Medicaid cost-efficiency program. Senate Bill 119 was introduced in the New Hampshire Senate earlier this year with the goal of making the state Medicaid program more cost-efficient. The bill seeks to allow Medicaid to purchase name-brand drugs when they are cheaper than generics. Medicaid has long been prevented from buying name brands because historically they are more expensive. However, recent market developments have made some name-brand drugs cheaper than their generic counterparts, so lawmakers have worked to alter that rule this year. This has been a priority in Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte's budget agenda amid a difficult fiscal environment this year. 'My wife loves to shop at Hannaford, and nine times out of 10, if there's a Hannaford brand, I pick the Hannaford brand up,' Sen. James Gray, a Rochester Republican and the bill's sponsor, said during a hearing on the bill last month. 'But you know what? Sometimes that national brand has a coupon. Sometimes that national brand has a discount. Sometimes it's just on sale. And that's exactly what this bill does. It says, 'Hey, you don't have to buy generic if the national brand is cheaper.'' The Senate approved SB 119 through a voice vote in March. However, when it got to House lawmakers, Rep. Yury Polozov, a Hooksett Republican, proposed an amendment that added a provision allowing ivermectin to be purchased at New Hampshire pharmacies without a prescription from a doctor. The House passed the amended version of SB 119 on Thursday, sending the bill back to the Senate for another vote. House Democrats criticized the change. 'It is very bad legislative policy to attach unlike things together in the hopes of forcing somebody else to do something that they would not otherwise do,' Rep. Lucy Weber, a Walpole Democrat, said on the House floor Thursday. 'Anything that is good legislative policy stands on its own and should not be attached to anything else.' Ivermectin was discovered in Japan in the 1970s and subsequently used to develop a veterinary drug to treat parasitic infections in horses, cattle, dogs, and other animals, according to the American Chemical Society. Years later, researchers from Merck Pharmaceuticals and the Kitasato Institute began experimenting on uses of the drug for humans. They were able to use the drug to treat river blindness and saw so much success they won a 2015 Nobel Prize. The medicine is now used to treat several kinds of worm and lice infections in humans. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautions that high doses of ivermectin can cause seizures, coma, or even death. The Mayo Clinic also warns that the drug could interact poorly with other medications and that it hasn't been tested for safety and efficacy among small children, geriatric patients, and breastfeeding babies. Ivermectin gained notoriety during the pandemic when people began using it as a treatment for COVID-19. Research was conducted on whether the drug could be repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. However, that research was never able to prove ivermectin was effective at treating the virus. Still, online misinformation and faulty studies drove people to seek the drug anyway. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a sharp increase in the number of people calling into poison control centers due to ivermectin overdoses. It also said it received reports of people who, unable to get a prescription for the drug, had resorted to buying and taking formulations made for animals from veterinary suppliers unsafe for humans. Some online posts have claimed ivermectin could be used to treat cancer, a claim that is unsubstantiated, though there's early-stage research investigating its use for cancer treatment in combination with other drugs. A few other states have turned ivermectin into an over-the-counter medication. Legislatures in Arkansas, Idaho, and Tennessee have done so already. North Carolina, Louisiana, and several other states are considering following suit. This state-by-state approval marks a departure from the typical process for approving an over-the counter medicine. Typically, federal health authorities with the FDA have weighed scientific evidence and determined whether a drug can be sold safely over-the-counter. In these states, lawmakers have superseded that process and made the determination themselves. This isn't the first effort to make ivermectin over-the-counter in New Hampshire. In 2022, the Legislature passed similar legislation, but then-Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, vetoed it, arguing that, 'Patients should always consult their doctor before taking medications so that they are fully aware of treatment options and potential unintended consequences of taking a medication that may limit other treatment options in the future.' Introducing the amendment, Rep. Kelley Potenza, a Rochester Republican and one of its supporters, said the proposal 'lies at the intersection of public health, personal freedom, and frankly common sense.' Potenza claimed the drug 'carries a much lower risk than over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol.' She also called claims that ivermectin is dangerous and ineffective in treating COVID-19 'propaganda' and 'lies.' Potenza said when she had COVID-19 during the pandemic, she got a prescription from a doctor in Arizona for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. She attributes her recovery to it. She said the government's actions during the pandemic is what inspired her to run for office. The Mayo Clinic says that claims about ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, or chloroquine being effective at treating COVID-19 are false. The CDC and FDA both say current research has been unable to demonstrate that ivermectin is effective at treating COVID-19.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama bill combating gun violence signed into law
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill Monday aimed at deterring gun violence into law. Thomasville crash kills 2, injures 4, police chief says SB 119 brings harsher penalties for people who shoot into cars and buildings, convicts who have guns, and Aniah's Law now applies to more violent offenses. Mobile District Attorney Keith Blackwood told News 5 that the bill provides more opportunities to combat gun violence and violent offenders throughout Mobile. 'It will allow us to expand the class of people that are prohibited from owning firearms,' Blackwood said. 'And we're talking about convicted felons,' he said. 'We're talking about, you know, people with certain drug offenses, people with prior violent offenses.' Most importantly, Blackwood said, there are new provisions for Aniah's Law offenses. 'That one really allows us to more immediately respond to public safety issues and make sure that we're able to keep people that commit violent offenses in jail where they belong, to keep our community safe,' Blackwood said. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch is also a big supporter of the gun violence prevention bill. 'I think they did a really great job of considering a lot of different situations and scenarios,' Burch said. 'And keeping, even though they're criminals, keeping their civil rights in mind.' Burch said even though this bill is a start, he hopes to see harsher penalties for other gun crimes in the future. 'Someone who will shoot recklessly into a crowd, that to me is just as bad as shooting into a house because, you know, you've got a number of people in there,' Burch said. 'But I think that would be something that needs to be included in that going forward next year,' he said. 'But again, it was a great bill that was passed and will certainly go a long way.' SB 119 goes into effect Oct. 1 except for the Aniah's Law expansion. Prichard shooting under investigation The expansion requires a change to the constitutional amendment that was passed in 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House panel revives bill to give Ivermectin special status
The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror, but a House Republican-led panel revived legislation Wednesday to allow for residents to receive without a prescription ivermectin, a controversial but very popular, anti-parasitic used by many to treat the virus. The amended language would allow doctors, advance nurse practitioners and physician assistants to issue to patients a 'standing order' that would allow them to receive ivermectin without a prescription. State Rep. Yuri Polozov, R-Hooksett, convinced his Republican colleagues on the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee to attach this proposal to a Senate passed bill (SB 119) state Medicaid officials requested to save taxpayers money by allowing clients to get the lowest-cost available medication. 'It is one of the safest medicines available so allowing physicians to do this makes sense,' Polozov said. 'I understand there are strong feelings on both sides. No one is forcing physicians or any of them to do anything they don't want to do.' But Gary Woods, D-Bow and a retired physician, said it would be unwise for lawmakers to wade into medical care decisions. 'Let's really follow the science in this situation. I understand the emotion behind it. I would like to do something that is simple,' Woods said. 'If your doctor wants to, he or she can write a prescription. We do it all the time, off label. We don't need to or should legislate that.' Several supporters charged that during COVID doctors were pressured not to give their patients ivermectin since COVID-19 vaccines got emergency approval because there were no other safe alternatives. 'Doctors will not prescribe the medicine, pharmacies will not fill the medicine and that's why this legislation is needed,' said Rep. Linda McGrath, R-Hampton, who worked for decades in the pharmacy field. In 2020, two elite journals, Lancet and the Journal for American Medicine retracted two reports critical of ivermectin and other alternative drugs over questions regarding integrity of the data. Then in August 2021, the Centers for Disease Control issued a warning about the 'alarming' increased use of ivermectin to treat the virus. The House panel approved this amendment, 10-8, with all Democrats on the panel in opposition. 'Making this the equivalent of an over-the-counter medication without the usual reviews is very unwise,' said House Democratic Floor Leader Lucy Weber of Walpole. Similar standing orders are rare Currently, the only drugs given a standing order are smoking cessation products, treatment for sexual assault and the EpiPen to treat allergic reactions such as bee stings and contraception. That's why former Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a similar bill (HB 1022) the GOP-led Legislature passed in 2022. In that veto message, Sununu wrote the others given a standing order met 'all the necessary protocols.' 'All drugs and medications should be subject to the same rigorous process if they are to be dispensed by standing order,' Sununu wrote. A few months later, the GOP-led House failed to override Sununu's veto. The same panel wasn't as accommodating to a different standing order HHS requested and the Senate endorsed. This would allow the HHS chief medical officer the power to issue a standing order for 'over-the-counter (non-legend) medications, medical supplies, or laboratory tests' given to Medicaid patients. McGrath said that it was too open-ended. 'It might save the state money but put all the burden on your neighborhood pharmacy that is overworked,' McGrath said. 'Pharmacies lose money dispensing over the counter standing order medications.' What's Next: The full House of Representatives will vote later this month on the committee recommendation. Prospects: The future may come down to whether Gov. Kelly Ayotte agrees with Sununu and blocks this legislation, should it get to her desk. klandrigan@
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House passes Aniah's Law expansion
Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road (center) applauds for a group in the Alabama Senate gallery on April 22, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House on Tuesday passed Barfoot's constitutional amendment that expands Aniah's Law. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment Tuesday that would expand the number of crimes where a judge may deny bond under Aniah's Law. SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, expands the list of crimes that will not be eligible for bond to solicitation, attempt and conspiracy to commit murder; and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling. Alabama voters approved the original law in 2022. 'This is up to the judge to make the determination, it is not automatic,' said Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, who carried the legislation in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Prior to approval of Aniah's Law, judges could only deny bond to individuals charged with capital murder. The amendment expanded that to include other serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping and rape. The amendment was named after Aniah Blanchard, a Southern Union Community College student who went missing in October 2019 and whose body was found a month later. Ibraheem Yazeed, who was charged with capital murder in Blanchard's death, had been charged with several violent crimes but released on bail months before Blanchard was killed. Yazeed is still awaiting trial. Aniah's Law allows prosecutors to request a hearing to determine if a defendant should be denied bond for committing a violent Class A felony such as rape and murder. But judges may still grant bond after hearing prosecution's claims. The bill passed 87-0 with 16 abstentions. The constitutional amendment must be approved by Alabama voters. The House also passed SB 119, also sponsored by Barfoot, that makes discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling a Class A felony, up from a Class B felony. That is punishable by 10-99 years in prison and fines up to $60,000. Simpson said that most of those crimes come from people using a firearm modified with a Glock switch, which the Legislature banned earlier this session. 'You can't control what it does. You can maybe have a grasp over the first bullet that comes out, but the gun just goes off,' Simpson said. The bill passed 66-0 with 37 abstentions. It will go to voters for approval. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee OKs bill revising state law on firearm bans
Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, listens to a speaker in the Alabama Senate on May 8, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. He filed legislation that places a time limit on bans for firearms. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee approved legislation that puts a five-year time limit on firearm bans for certain felony convictions and enhances the criminal penalty for people who fire into a building with people in it. SB 119, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, revises state laws on who is barred from owning a firearm and enhances some penalties around it. . 'We looked at, 'What are some issues, or problems and concerns that we have as it relates to individuals who possess firearms, and have been convicted, either relatively close proximity to the date that they are found in possession of a firearm or, if they have been convicted of multiple felonies before.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Senate approved the bill earlier this month. Current law makes it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for anyone convicted of a crime of violence, a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse, someone subject to a protective order or someone of 'unsound mind' to possess a firearm. Barfoot's bill keeps that ban in place but adds new language to extend the ban to anyone charged with those crimes, though they cannot be convicted of possession unless first being convicted of the original crimes they were charged with. The bill also says the ban applies to anyone convicted of a felony offense 'within the previous five years.' It also bans anyone who has three felony convictions from possessing a firearm. Those who violate the ban may be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The bill also extends a prohibition on carrying deadly weapons 'with intent to do bodily harm' to private as well as public schools. It also enhances the criminal penalties for people who shoot into a building with people, going from a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine, to a Class A felony, punishable by up to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The legislation also allows courts to deny bail to those charged with shooting into an occupied building. The bill leaves in place the penalty for shooting into a building without people at a Class C felony. Rep. Bryan Brinyark, R-Windham Springs, had concerns with a specific line within the legislation. ''A person of 'unsound mind', and that is just so vague to me,' he said. 'Who makes that decision, it doesn't break that down. That gives me a little bit of concern but is a good bill. I appreciate what you are doing.' The bill moves to the full House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
