Attorney General's report on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices wins national award

August 7, 2020 (SAINT PAUL) — The National Conference of State Legislatures has conferred a 2020 Notable Document Award on the report of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices. According to the NCSL, the award, which is made by a panel of experienced legislative librarians, recognizes “excellence in documents that explore topics of interest to legislators and staff, and present substantive material in an outstanding format.”

“When it comes to the cost of prescription drugs, too many Minnesotans are having to choose between afford their lives and affording to live. I pulled together the task force to shed some much-needed light on the problem and to change it,” Attorney General Ellison said. “I’m especially gratified that the NCSL has recognized that by using clear language that every Minnesotan can understand and putting it in a format that’s easy to digest, the report strikes a big blow for transparency. Until now, it’s been far too challenging for most people, including even many experts, to get the full picture of why prices are so high, much less understand what they can do about it. With this report, no one can say they don’t know. Now, folks now have the knowledge and tools for holding the industry accountable.

“I want to thank the members of the Task Force, co-chaired by Nicole Smith-Holt and Senator Scott Jensen, for their tireless dedication and hard work, and the many staff in my office who devoted countless hours to supporting the Task Force and completing the report. I especially want to thank Sadaf Rahmani of my office, who shepherded the project from start to finish, for her essential contributions,” Attorney General Ellison continued.

The full report of Attorney General Ellison’s Task Force on Lowering the Cost of Pharmaceutical Drugs, including 14 recommendations and 57 action steps, is available on Attorney General Ellison’s website.