‘Right To Try’ Law Gets Gov. Nixon’s Signature
Today is the last day for Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to veto or sign legislation that the 2014 General Assembly passed. So, with the state’s “Right to Try” proposal still sitting on his desk, I started my workday with a smidgen of trepidation. “Right to Try,” you might remember, would empower patients with terminal illnesses to more freely seek experimental medications in hopes of finding something that could help them.
The concern: Would the governor veto “Right to Try” this year, much like he vetoed the Volunteer Health Services Act last year?
The answer: Nope. He just signed it.
The Governor signed two health-related bills, which will provide Missourians in specific situations with additional options for medical treatment of illness and disease. House Bill 1685 allows drug manufacturers to make available investigational drugs, biological products, or devices to certain eligible terminally ill patients. House Bill 2238 allows the use of hemp extract to treat some individuals with epilepsy and also allows the Department of Agriculture to issue licenses to grow industrial hemp strictly for research purposes. House Bill 2238 contains an emergency clause.
I talked about this bill a lot in the last few months. This was, to me, an obvious opportunity to empower people to make each other’s lives better. The government should open doors for people to care for one another, not erect and maintain barriers to helping each other. “Right to Try’s” enactment is not only a victory of reform-minded policy, but more importantly, it is a victory for Missourians in need.
Congratulations to the Missouri House and Senate for sending the bill to the governor, to the legislators who sponsored the bill and powered this important conversation, and to the governor for making the right decision by adding his support to the unanimous votes of the legislature. Well done.
