Despite the resounding defeat of Measure #7 on Tuesday, I predict that the pharmacy ownership law issue isn’t done yet. In fact, I have heard that it could come up again, but in a manner which is not directly about allowing the large retail stores to have pharmacies. This could happen as soon as the…
Rick Olson: An Epitaph For Measure 7
The people of North Dakota finally had an opportunity on Tuesday to decide the fate of North Dakota’s protectionist pharmacy ownership law once and for all. Well, as many of you probably know, Measure #7 was soundly defeated in Tuesday’s general election. With all of the state’s precincts reporting, the measure was soundly defeated. Unofficial…
Matt Evans: I've Changed My Mind On Measure 7
I changed my mind about Measure 7 I’ve been in favor of Measure 7 – the ballot initiative that would repeal North Dakota’s pharmacy protection law — for a long time. I can’t quite recall for sure, but I think it has come up in past elections, and if it did, I surely voted to…
The Only People Measure 7 Protects Is Rich North Dakota Pharmacists
Measure 7 on the ballot next week would repeal North Dakota’s pharmacy protection law which prohibits ownership of pharmacies by non-pharmacists. Not surprisingly, the people who already own pharmacies in North Dakota love the law. And why wouldn’t they? It severely limits competition. Maybe I should lobby for a bill to prohibit the access of…
Anti-Measure 7 Campaign Backers Don't Want To Disclose Membership
UPDATE: Secretary of State Al Jaeger tells me that anti-Measure 7 activists haven’t been disclosing their spending. Yesterday I wrote about the lack of disclosure on the part of the anti-Measure 7 campaigners. Today I found out a little more about that. Measure 7, if you haven’t been paying attention, is seeking to repeal North Dakota’s…
Whoa: Pharmacy Measure Gets Over 24,000 Signatures In Six Weeks
North Dakota has a very weird pharmacy protection law that basically prohibits chain pharmacies from opening in the state. Efforts to repeal the law in the Legislature have failed because the pharmacists are very organized, and swing a lot of lobbying clout. Efforts to repeal the law through initiated measure have failed in the past,…
Petitions To Repeal North Dakota's Pharmacy Law To Be Circulated Again
I missed this in the lead up to the holiday weekend, but last week the Bismarck Tribune reported that another petition to repeal North Dakota’s bizarre pharmacy protection law has been filed with the Secretary of State’s office which is set to approve it for circulation. For the uninitiated, North Dakota law (specifically 43-15-35 of the…