Suzi Wizowaty

Amid all the scary, grim financial news last week came some great news for Vermont. Our law that regulates drug manufacturers’ marketing efforts has been declared--unhappily for the drug companies that challenged it--constitutional. We will now move ahead to strengthen regulations further.

Here’s what happened. In 2007 the Vermont legislature passed Act 80 (amended slightly in 2008 as Act 89), which aimed to protect public health and contain drug costs in several ways. (Drug advertising costs consumers billions of dollars a year, and newer drugs--the focus of most marketing--are not necessarily better or more cost effective.) (more…)

Only after the fourth or fifth House member asked me whether I was going to speak on behalf of the marriage equality bill did I decide that yes, I would. Here's my first floor speech in the Vermont House of Representatives, delivered on Thursday, April 2, before the vote:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is indeed a fight for civil rights. It also has a spiritual dimension, which is to say it’s a conversation about generosity of heart. (more…)