The full Senate will discuss legislation making chemotherapy drugs more affordable to cancer patients.
The bill was stalled last week in a procedural move. Some Republicans were prepared to go against their leader in order to pull the bill to the floor. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) had refused to schedule the measure for a vote, despite support from both political parties.
Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) planned to offer a series of amendments in order to trigger debate on the legislation requiring health insurance coverage of oral chemotherapy drugs, just as is the case for chemo administered through an IV.
In a turnaround, Fitzgerald today said he’d bring the proposal up for a vote, and then Erpenbach withdrew all his amendments.