[ST. PAUL, MN] – More than 60 days since legislators began working on a deal to reduce insulin prices, Governor Tim Walz today said it’s past time for a bipartisan solution. With bipartisan agreement around the creation of an emergency insulin program, the remaining obstacle is whether to hold the pharmaceutical companies who created this crisis responsible for paying for it. Walz called on Republicans today to put Minnesotans before Big Pharma and agree to the commonsense solution of funding the insulin assistance program through a fee on manufacturers.

“With lives literally on the line, it is past time for a bipartisan solution to ensure Minnesotans can afford the insulin they need to survive,” Governor Walz said. “As insulin prices skyrocket and pharmaceutical companies rake in profits, I am calling on Republicans to put the health and well-being of Minnesotans ahead of Big Pharma. I urge them to support this commonsense funding solution, so that we can call a special session, pass this bill, and provide much-needed relief to Minnesotans struggling to afford insulin.”

The cost of insulin has tripled in the last ten years. Studies indicate that 1 in 4 diabetics have resorted to rationing their insulin due to the lack of access to affordable insulin—resulting in tragic deaths like that of 26-year-old Alec Smith in Minnesota.