The View From Here

Published by admin on Wed, 04/30/2025 - 1:31pm

By:

State Senator Dennis Guth

As we approach the scheduled end date for the 2025 legislative session, we are working on final budgets in each department and finishing up legislative priorities.

Two important pieces of legislation that have yet to come to the floor for debate are pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform and eminent domain guidelines.

PBMs are the entities that determine how much a pharmacy gets paid for the drugs they sell. Too many of those drugs are being reimbursed at a rate that is less than what it cost the pharmacy to purchase. The pharmacy cannot refuse to fill the prescription, so it operates at a loss. We have lost many pharmacies in Iowa because of this over the past year.

The Senate is trying to minimize increases in costs for businesses that cover pharmaceuticals, while improving the outcomes for pharmacies, especially rural and privately owned pharmacies. It has taken considerable work to come up with a plan that will “thread the needle” between costing too much and not helping local pharmacies enough. A primary part of this is to shed light on how the PBM determines how much to pay for each drug. It appears that PBMs have made considerable profit and not passed some discounts on to the consumer. Shedding light on this process has helped other states increase payments to pharmacies, while actually decreasing the cost to employers. I expect we will get something passed this session.

The other issue that has not been addressed is reforming when eminent domain can be used. I’ve worked on this for three years and not had any success getting a bill to come to the floor. The House passed two good bills dealing with eminent domain and pipelines. HF 943 prohibits the taking of agricultural land for a pipeline transporting liquefied carbon dioxide.

HF 639 has a number of policies designed to protect landowners. These include:

•Requires hazardous liquid pipelines to have insurance to cover potential damage

•States pipeline owner must provide insurance or reimburse the individual for increased costs if individuals face increased insurance, or are unavailable to get insurance due to the pipeline

•Provides stronger safeguards to ensure that only legitimate public uses are recognized for eminent domain.

•Mandates that all members of the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) must be present during hearings.

•Allows Iowans who are impacted by IUC action to intervene. Many Iowans have been prohibited from speaking at hearings even though they will be impacted.

I will continue to encourage Senate Republican leadership to bring these or similar bills to the floor. We must realize that liberty is dead if property rights are taken away by private companies operating solely for their personal gain.

We passed SF 233 this week which expands our “Right to Try” Act which allows a person with a rare disease, especially one that is life threatening, increased access to alternative treatments that can provide hope for a better outcome.

HF 117 expands the scope of the National Guard Service Scholarship program to include a program that awards a credential rather than just degree programs. This would allow a National Guard member to use the funds for a number of programs like HVAC, mechanic, and many other industry professions.

On April 22 the Family Leader sponsored a Champions Banquet to honor the conservatives who helped pass many important pieces of legislation relating to the right to life, religious freedom and parental rights.

The last eight years have been marked by an incredible list of pro-family bills passed into law, including, but not limited to:

•April 2017: 20-Week Abortion Ban

•May 2017: Defund Planned Parenthood

•May 2018: Heartbeat Protection Bill

•May 2019: Judicial Nominating Reform

•June 2020: Abortion 24-Hour Waiting Period

•April 2021: Protect Life Amendment

•May 2021: Critical Race Theory Ban

•February 2022: Save Girls’ Sports

•January 2023: Universal School Choice (ESAs)

•March 2023: Help Not Harm

•March 2023: School Bathroom Bill