Drug companies create drugs.  They research them, they test them, they rework the formulas, they test them again and once they have something that will save lives or improve quality of life they send it along to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their own testing and approval.  

The FDA tests these drugs.  Theoretically, they make sure they do what the drug companies say they do.  They make sure they're safe for use under a doctor's supervision and that all of the correct interaction and warning labels are properly applied and ready for marketing. Once the FDA approves a drug, its back on the drug companies to sell them and to comply with the standards the FDA has set for the sale and marketing.

In Michigan, if someone takes a prescription drug and then bad things happen... they have a complication, get slammed by a particular side-effect they didn't see coming or they just plain didn't follow directions correctly there's a mechanism in place whereby those patients can sue.

If you believe the warning labels misrepresented the risk, or you think the drug company foisted something on you fraudulently you go to the FDA, you tell them what happened (I hear they take these sorts of things seriously) and if the FDA figures out the company really did misrepresent their drugs or didn't tell the whole story about them then you get to sue!

So then, what's the Democrats' legislation all about?  They want you to be able to sue for millions because you catch a sniffle.  They're encouraging frivolous lawsuits and looking out for their trial lawyer buddies.

You know how governor Granholm used to always talk about life sciences and incubators and new economies?  So much for that.

Not too long ago MichBio reported that more than 540 life science companies were up and running in Michigan with over 30,000 employees.  Guess what they do!  They create drugs.  They research drugs.  They test drugs.  They improve lives.  They save lives!  

Now take those companies, already limping after nearly a decade of failed Democratic leadership, and take the leash off the trial lawyers.  Sure, some of the companies will survive.  Lots of them won't.

Suppose that's the price Democrats are willing to pay to make the ambulance chasers happy.