Yesterday the Senate voted unanimously to approve a bill containing several important measures to confront the availability and misuse of illegal opiates and the abuse of prescription drugs. S.2122, “An Act Relative to Prescription Drug Diversion, Abuse and Addiction”, if it becomes law, will strengthen the monitoring system for prescription drugs and require its use by physicians and pharmacists. You can view the actual text of the bill by clicking here. Unfortunately, the Senate rejected an amendment proposal by Senator Richard Ross that would begin the process of establishing a registry of drug dealers to assist law enforcement in the identification and prosecution of these individuals, and to use information to combat the threats they pose to public safety.
The Senate rejected the opportunity to provide this tool for public safety by a vote of 5-30. An accounting of that vote is posted below.
Roll Call Votes: Yea/Nay
Steven A. Baddour: Nay
Frederick E. Berry: Nay
Stephen M. Brewer: Nay
William N. Brownsberger: Nay
Gale D. Candaras: Nay
Harriette L. Chandler: Nay
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Nay
Katherine Clark: Nay
Cynthia Stone Creem: Nay
Sal N. DiDomenico: Nay
Kenneth J. Donnelly: Nay
Eileen Donoghue: Nay
Benjamin B. Downing: Nay
James B. Eldridge: Nay
Susan C. Fargo: Nay
Barry Finegold: Yea
Jennifer L. Flanagan: Nay
John Hart: Nay
Robert L. Hedlund: Yea
Patricia D. Jehlen: Nay
Brian A. Joyce: Nay
John Keenan: Nay
Thomas P. Kennedy: Nay
Michael R. Knapik: Yea
Thomas M. McGee: Did Not Vote
Mark C. Montigny: Nay
Michael O. Moore: Did Note Vote
Richard T. Moore: Nay
Senate President Therese Murray: Did Not Vote
Marc R. Pacheco: Nay
Anthony Petruccelli: Nay
Michael Rodrigues: Nay
Stanley C. Rosenberg: Did Not Vote
Richard J. Ross: Yea
Michael Rush: Nay
Karen E. Spilka: Nay
Bruce E. Tarr: Yea
James E. Timilty: Did Not Vote
James Welch: Nay
Daniel Wolf: Nay
