JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – After weeks of politicking and gathering votes, Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, finally introduced HB 1892, better known as the Narcotics Control Act, to the House floor with a bit of surprise for a vote to institute a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) in the state of Missouri.
The bill was perfected 91-68 with a pronounced split in the Republican Party over the issue, though a handful of Democrats also voted no on the measure.
Rehder had struggled in prior weeks to gain a stronger coalition due to increased criticism of the proposal by libertarian/right-wing groups like the Missouri Alliance for Freedom and Americans for Prosperity who feared that the creation of more government databases went against Fourth Amendment rights and that privacy was at risk.
Supporters, however, said that the problems plaguing Missouri due to overdoses on opiates took precedence over such fears.
“I don’t think our biggest fear should be that the government has this information,” Rep. Genise Montecillo, D-St. Louis, said. “It should be the amount of people we’re losing and the people who are suffering around the state.”
Many Republicans spoke in favor of the legislation. Rep. Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark, noted that Missouri already had certain databases, especially for drugs like pseudoephedrine, which can be used to cook methamphetamines.
“There’s databases and we’ve got a lot of them,” he said. “On occasion, we have to have them to protect ourselves, there’s several of them we have and currently have. I would encourage the body to vote for this database that helps a lot of people.”
Rep. Cloria Brown, R-St. Louis County, said this bill was an act of compassion.
“My mission is to help those who can’t help themselves and help those who can’t help themselves,” she said. “I err on the side of our seniors and our children.”
But other Republicans disagreed for various reasons. Some had concerns the bill would not work, and others implied that there were dangers in creating more databases which could be open for identity thieves
“This data is valuable data, and it’s likely to be hacked in my opinion,” Rep. Keith Frederick, R-Rolla, said.
Rep. Paul Curtman argued that a PDMP law would only serve as a brief impediment to illegal activity, and that it would only lead to an over-regulation of prescription drugs.
“I think our body suffers sometimes by split personalities,” Curtman said. “We need to understand a little more about how economics works. This is an economic issue. When somebody decides they want to buy drugs or move down the road to become a drug addict they are making choices to fulfill their own best interests. We are going to take an underground market and push it even further underground. Supply always finds a way to meet demand.”
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, added that the bill had not worked in other states. Rehder saved most of her comments after most of those opposed to the bill had finished speaking, and the usually quiet representative got heated during a softball inquiry from Rep. Tila Hubrecht, R-Dexter.
“It’s very interesting to me how we pick and choose when we’re going to ring the freedom bell,” Rehder said. “Just two weeks ago we voted to have everyone on Medicaid to have their information sifted through for fraud and abuse.
“I was raised in addiction and I have had people mention to me this is too close because of what happened with your daughter… [but] I get it because I’ve seen in firsthand. I understand buying pills on the black market. Perhaps it does make me a little more informed on how this works and how this happens.
“We can pick and choose and decide that this isn’t a perfect bill, and it’s not. In all of the other states they are saying this is a cornerstone… This is not a silver bullet, but it is a tool we do not have in our tool box.”
The bill will likely be passed when it is third read, but the margin may matter. Rehder had hoped it would enter the Senate with momentum to overcome a likely filibuster by Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-Joplin.
