City council likes to think of itself as progressive, passing bills to guarantee a fair workweek, wage equity, tenant protection, ex-offenders' rights.
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So the bill's co-sponsor, Cindy Bass, thought the bill designed to take on Big Pharma in an effort to prevent future addiction epidemics was a "no-brainer."
"In a legislative body in which we always say we put people in front of profits, I don't see how we can vote against this bill," Bass said.
But vote against it they did, over the impassioned pleas of the other co-sponsor, Bill Greenlee.
"The pharmaceutical industry is threatening that, just because we had the audacity in this city to put some regulations in against them, that they could ruin our economy. We're going to get held hostage by those folks?" Greenlee said.
The answer, apparently, was yes.
The bill was defeated nine to five.
