According to the Associated Press the House Democrats unveiled a package of legislation that, when it's all said and done, is the most stifling and restrictive in the United States.  They believe that prescription drug makers are wielding undue influence with doctors through the use of fruit baskets.  

Democrats see a company marketing it's product, in this case the latest and greatest Rx drugs, and their first reaction is "REGULATE."  The solution, cap gifts to doctors from pharmaceutical and life science companies at $100.

Sending doctors to conferences?  Out.  Illegal.

Promotional materials?  Better be careful, you've only got $100 total dollars to spend on all of your efforts for all of your products.  Don't go over the limit.

"The question is who pays for it in the end," said Rep. Mike Simpson, a Democrat from Jackson County's Liberty Township. "In the end, the Michigan consumer pays."

Sounds like Mike Simpson and the rest of Andy Dillon's job-killing caucus need a quick refresher course on how pharmaceutical companies work.

Step 1.  The company spends billions of dollars developing cures and treatments for diseases and afflictions and ailments and problems.  They pay doctors and researchers and technicians, the brightest minds in the known universe, providing high quality, high paying jobs at the same time.

Step 2.  The company markets their new drugs to doctors, clinicians, consumers, the whole kit and caboodle.  They spend lots and lots of money making sure that people know about their work and their new drugs.

Step 3.  Sick people find out about the drugs, take the drugs and get better.  Lives are saved.  Quality of life is improved.  Streamers, balloons, confetti.  All good things.

Step 4.  The company starts over again at the top, taking the money they make from selling the fancy new life saving drugs and reinvesting it in doctors, clinicians, researchers, technicians... the brightest minds in the known universe, all to create the next great drug that will save someone's life.

Now, take away step number 2 and guess what doesn't happen anymore.  Step 3.  And then Step 4.  There's this little thing called the free market.  It's amazing.

And, of course, everyone's ignoring the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room.  The Michigan House Democrats did NOT draft legislation to limit campaign donations to politicians from Rx companies, their PACs or their employees at $100.  They can't market their products to doctors to help save lives but they're more than welcome to buy influence at the Capitol to help keep a Democrat majority.

Almost as appalling as the Democrat double-standard is the way they approached the topic.

Remember, Michigan has a 7.5% unemployment rate, the worst in the nation, and holds similar dubious distinctions in almost every economic category known to man.  We need to be tearing down walls and opening our arms to job makers, not insulting them.  And boy oh boy did the Hosue Dems insult the life science sector.  AP continues:

At a Capitol press conference, Democrats were asked why the drug companies would be faced with the special requirements when other businesses that spend a lot on marketing, such as auto manufacturers, would not.

"If they were better corporate citizens, we wouldn't have to go this way," Rep. Barb Byrum, D-Onondaga, said of the drug companies.

Take that, job makers.  Come to Michigan and we'll tax you and we'll regulate you then we'll hold press conferences to tell the world that you're terrible corporate citizens.

All in all not a banner day for Michigan thanks to Andy Dillon and a Democrat caucus that's drifting further and further off the reservation by the day.