The Natural State?

I feel raw anger watching Arkansas slide into a trap of performative populism.

Back in April, Governor Huckabee-Sanders signed Act 624. She framed it as rescue for rural pharmacies, a stand against PBMs that own their own drugstores. A federal judge halted the law before it could take permits away from CVS, Express Scripts, OptumRx, and others.

It was set to take effect January 1, 2026. The court called it a likely Commerce Clause violation and a TRICARE preemption under the Supremacy Clause. The law masks protectionist power grabs in the name of saving Main Street.

Judge Brian Miller pointed out that Arkansas already has several PBM restrictions on the books. Earlier acts already address pay rates and conflicts. Lawmakers still pushed this drastic ban that targeted out of state entities.

Here's the beef ➡️ Express Scripts provides mail order prescriptions to TRICARE beneficiaries. Act 624 would fracture that network and cut veterans and military families out of affordable and reliable care.

This is a lived failure of policy.

Judge Miller granted the preliminary injunction on July 28, 2025. Patients kept access while the case moves forward. CVS warned that closing 23 Arkansas pharmacies would wreck access for tens of thousands.

State officials filed notice of appeal on July 31, 2025.

The legal fight drags on.

The fight over Act 624 exposes something bigger. We do not fix healthcare dysfunction with symbolic bans. We dismantle structures that exploit patients.

We do not claim to serve rural communities while stripping away their access.

And yes, I have been doing this since MTV still played music videos.

SOURCE ➡️ https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/07/federal-court-blocks-arkansas-pbm-law-00482776