August 30, 2005

Hargett Update

This doesn't look good for Tre Hargett - but it doesn't look as bad as the overraught headline and the lead. Bottom line: The bill that negatively impacted Pfizer passed the full House 93-0 and Hargett did not vote against it there or in committee. The changes he argued for in committee were changes that legislators of both parties supported. And as I reported here on August 20, the chairman of two key committees through which the legislation passed have no recollection of Hargett speaking against the legislation in committee or to them privately.

The legislation in question, incidentally, benefitted pharmacists at the expense of big drugmakers like Pfizer. The prime House sponsor for the legislation, which was was backed by the state association of pharmacists, was state Rep. David Shepard.

He's a pharmacist - and the most ethically compromised person involved in pushing that specific piece of legislation. Oddly, the news coverage of Hargett's role continues to ignore Shepard's.