Perhaps you noticed the new tagline on our logo: standing up to powerful interests. After playing with several versions in the last few years, we’ve settled on this one because it best captures the role of Maryland PIRG. Take our effort to ensure safer prescription drugs... The powerful pharmaceutical industry has consistently and aggressively lobbied to defeat or weaken important drug safety legislation. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Maryland PIRG-supported provision that requires drug makers to come clean and disclose the results of studies conducted on their drugs. But in the Senate, drug industry lobbyists pushed through a weaker provision that calls for a study on the feasibility of disclosure. Our health care advocate in D.C., Paul Brown, was in the trenches at the Capitol reminding lawmakers that false solutions will not yield safer medicines. Throughout this newsletter and future editions, you will read about our advocates standing up to powerful interests and fighting for sound public policies that truly protect Marylanders. It’s what we do. Thank you for supporting it. Johanna Neumann |


