California Legislators are facing a yuuuge stack of bills on a range of topics to address as summer heats up at the Capitol. Fortunately one of the bills on the table, Senate Bill 1010 (Hernandez), is such a no-brainer and so obviously beneficial to working people and their employers, California legislators looking out for their constituents won’t have to break a sweat figuring out how to vote.

SB 1010 is a commonsense, pro-transparency bill that would require pharmaceutical manufacturers to give advance notice and an explanation when they hike up the prices on drugs. This bill would bring much needed transparency to an industryplagued with CEOs who jack up prices behind closed doors with zero accountability. At a time when pharmaceutical drug costs are hitting working people and their bosses square in the pocket, elected officials should be thrilled to vote YES on a bill that would help curb soaring Rx prices.

Democrats nationwide have identified skyrocketing prescription drug prices as a major issue in need of serious remedies – Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for President, includes it prominently on her website. The Democratic National Party also included it in their national platform under “Ensuring the health and safety of all Americans” stating: “We will tackle the problems that remain in our health care system, including cracking down on runaway prescription drug prices”

More locally, the California Democratic Party endorsed SB 1010 specifically, tweeting:

Bringing transparency to soaring Rx drug prices doesn’t have to be a partisan issue- working folks have been hit with unbelievable and unjustifiable price increases on necessary prescriptions regardless of who they vote for.  Editorial Boards of the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee have endorsed SB 1010. The Bee wrote in their endorsement:

It’s basic stuff, really, but drug companies are kicking and screaming. At least 25 pharmaceutical makers, biotech companies and pharma trade organizations reported lobbying on SB 1010 just in the first quarter of this year.

They say that, despite the bill’s good intentions, it will hurt innovation, generate paperwork, make drugs more expensive, underestimate the impact of informal discounts and encourage “gray market” stockpiling of medication. All that, just from a heads-up on major price hikes and a list of the 25 drugs costing insurers the most money? That’s hard to believe.

More than 70 organizations have come out in strong support of the bill, including labor unions, consumer advocates, chambers of commerce, business groups, local governments, and nearly every sector of the healthcare community – except ONE: the pharmaceutical industry. Which brings me to a very important question ALL legislators should be asking: What’s Pharma Hiding??

Join us in support of this important bill- sign the petition in support of SB 1010 and follow the action on social media with #WhatsPharmaHiding