Pharmacy ruling takes away control

Re: Rosenoff letter (July 7)

It is amazing that a case brought by the State of Washington against a local pharmacy has gone clear to the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal judge in Tacoma ruled against the state because of the high handed way then governor, Chris Gregoire, forced the pharmacy board to make the ruling that Rosenoff referred. His observation is that he no longer can choose what items he wants to sell because the state is now able to dictate the choices.

It is a sad commentary on our judicial system when a federal judge issed a 90-page ruling that showed the pharmacy was clearly acting in complete compliance with the law and their conscience. He also found that the state had clearly overstepped its authority by issuing an unreasonable demand to sell one product available elsewhere. Did our State Attorney General accept that decision. No, the state appealed the case to the Ninth District Court,and they reversed the decision. Then the case was referred to the highest court in the land where a split decision affirmed the Ninth.

So our local pharmacy can either cave in to the state or close, if they keep their commitment to their closely held religious values.

Mr. Rosenoff has put his finger on one sad change in doing business in our state. Our local pharmacy has gone to the mat and lost. I share his observation, “Welcome to the Soviet Union.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Pharmacy ruling takes away control."