PCCJR Update — April 20, 2018

S.B. 936 Passes; PCCJR Calls on Governor to Sign S.B. 936 Into Law; Making an Impact at PA Leadership Conference; Things that Make You go Hmmm…

S.B. 936 Passes House, In Hands of the Governor!!

This week, PCCJR hailed members of the state House of Representatives for passing legislation that would improve health outcomes for injured workers, curtail the dangerous practice of profiting off medically unproven, non-FDA approved compound creams and help prevent opioid addiction.

Senate Bill 936 passed the House by a vote of 101 to 92. The bill now moves on to the governor for final approval.

Passage of SB 932 is a victory for injured employees and employers and a defeat for plaintiffs’ attorneys who fought the bill to preserve massive profits made off attorney owned pharmacies charging outrageous prices for medically unproven, non-FDA approved compound pain creams.

“Members of the House did the right thing – in the name of taking action against the opioid epidemic and pushing back on unscrupulous workers’ compensation law firm practices that are more focused on profits than helping injured workers,” said Curt Schroder, executive director of PCCJR. “We urge the governor to sign S.B. 936 into law so that Pennsylvania can reverse the course of these dangerous practices and help stem the tide of opioid addiction.”

Schroder said he is concerned that Governor Wolf may veto the bill. The governor’s opposition has echoed false arguments promoted by plaintiff lawyers and certain pharmacies, both of which have generously supported his re-election campaign. Before the House vote, it was revealed in a Philadelphia Inquirer news report that the governor’s campaign had received $1.1 million in campaign contributions from a political action committee connected to those perpetuating the same workers’ compensation and pharmaceutical scams that S.B. 936 seeks to address.

“It’s Governor Wolf’s turn to do the right thing and sign S.B. 936 into law,” said Schroder. “Governor Wolf should set an example by reversing the course of these dangerous practices and help stem the tide of opioid addiction.”

You can hear more about the bill, and the fight to get it passed on the latest edition of Lincoln Radio Journal’s Capitol Watch featuring PA Manufacturers Association CEO David Taylor, National Federation of Independent Businesses Pennsylvania Executive State Director Kevin Shivers and Founder, and PCCJR Executive Director, Curt Schroder.

PCCJR Calls on Governor to Sign S.B. 936

Will Governor Wolf sign SB 936 into law? He has until April 28th to act. See PCCJR’s statement urging him to do the right thing and sign the bill!

PCCJR Makes an Impact at PA Leadership Conference

PCCJR made sure legal reform was on the mind of some of Pennsylvania’s leading political activists at The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference earlier this month. The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is an annual gathering of public policy conservatives and is considered one of the largest and longest-running state-based political conferences.

Schroder met with public officials, scholars and journalists during the two-day conference in the Harrisburg region, where interest in legal and court reforms was running high.

Things that make you go Hmmm…

Jerry M. Lehocky, a partner of the workers’ compensation plaintiffs attorney firm Pond Lehocky, was recently appointed to the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for a three-year term commencing on February 1st, 2018. That is the same firm behind the controversy that SB 936 seeks to remedy. The Pennsylvania legislature sent S.B. 936 to the governor’s desk after the Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered unscrupulous practices where law firm-owned pharmacies were overcharging for medications, including compounded creams not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hmmm….

In the News

College Students Feel the Sting of Lawsuit Abuse | Penn State Strips Longstanding Clubs of Recognition Due to Liability and Risk Concerns | StateCollege.com

You can now be sued for walkingWoman Can Be Sued for Approaching Elderly Man on Ladder | The Legal Intelligencer

Loud SirensInsurer must cover fire engine maker for siren-related hearing loss lawsuits by firefighters | PennLive.com

Another frivolous lawsuit dismissed Philadelphia judge dismisses libel and slander suit against Red Lobster for insufficient, frivolous claims | Penn Record

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *