FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear signed several health care bills to start the week, including a bill to cap a 30-day supply of insulin at $30.
What You Need To Know
- Beshear signed several health care bills Monday
- One bill signed by the governor includes a capping a 30-day supply of insulin at $30
- Beshear also vetoed a number of measures, including some that would restrict his power
- The governor said some measures were unconstitutional
“This is the right thing to do, and it’s a game-changer for those who rely on insulin to live,” Beshear said.
House Bill 95 did not receive a single vote against it in either the House or Senate. It was sponsored by Rep. Patti Minter (D-Bowling Green) and Rep. Danny Bentley (R-Russell).
The issue is personal for both lawmakers: Bentley is living with the disease.
“When I went to committee meetings, someone questioned me about the costs,” Bentley said. “I said, 'what is the cost if they don’t have insulin?'”
And Minter’s son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before he turned 2 years old.
“Standing here today, we can’t prevent other moms from receiving the same news that I got in that hospital 14 years ago,” Minter said. “But we can make sure that when they receive the diagnosis, one thing they won’t have to worry about is choosing between bankruptcy and keeping their child alive.”
It only covers about 22,000 people with state-regulated health care plans.
Angela Lautner with Kentucky’s Insulin 4 All chapter says lawmakers should work on doing more.
“Access to insulin is a human right, and we stand ready to work with every member of the House and Senate in the future as we continue our work for insulin for all for every single Kentuckian,” Lautner said.
There were dozens of bills passed last week as lawmakers approached a deadline to pass veto-proof bills, including Senate Bill 228, which limits how the governor can fill a vacancy for U.S. Senator.
Beshear says it’s unconstitutional and goes along with a pattern he’s seeing with other bills he’s vetoing.
“What we saw is bill after bill that attempted to take appointments, duties, and other things away from this governor’s office — same powers and duties that virtually every governor before me had had — simply because of the last set of elections,” Beshear said. “That is not good for our democracy.”
Many of the other bills Beshear vetoed have to deal with his power over several boards, like the State Fair Board or the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Lawmakers only need a simple majority to override Beshear’s veto, something the Republican party has in both chambers.
Lawmakers also passed several education-related bills last week before leaving for the veto break. Beshear said he plans on making another announcement on those bills Wednesday.
The full rundown of bills Beshear signed Monday: HB 50, HB 75, HB 108, HB 140, HB 183, HB 219, HB 276, HB 448, SB 55, SB 74, SB 154, SB 163.
The full rundown of bills Beshear vetoed Monday: HB 275, HB 394, HB 518, SB 93, SB 228.