First, the litigation attacking the California Institute for Regeneration is officially over! The lawsuits are gone, Proposition 71's major funding can begin. Nice, huh? But forgive me if I do not jump for joy—it has been almost three years delay because of that suit.
Meanwhile, the struggle goes on. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is of course in need of our assistance--
But the unnoticed struggle ahead is the States’ effort: bills which will help or hurt stem cell research in our individual states.
Check out this list-- find your state.
JOY TODAY, EMERGENCIES AHEAD: The Pending Stem Cell Legislation List
The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act needs work (do you know the names of the new Representatives who voted against it? If so, please let me know. We need to let them know there are even more new reasons to support it—the bill now contains language supporting alternative methods as well—for some of the fence-sitters, these changes might give them just what they need to get on the right side. And, if you have not met with your Representative, now might be a very good time! (Go to www.camradvocacy.org for an update.)
But the state effort-- wow.
I have to say, the next year and a half looks pretty rough. The opposition is throwing the kitchen sink at us.
On the positive side, one reason for their frenzy is they know they are on their way out, and want to do as much damage as they can before they go.
I have been working on a list of the state bills and initiatives that can help or hurt us in the states.
I made this list as short as possible, (You’ve heard of the art form known as minimalist? Well, this is my minimal-list—sorry— no details. Later, I will have other information available, but right now, this is just a preview of the action ahead.
Remember, these are not stem cell laws which have already passed— but laws (and initiatives) under consideration.
Some are positive; some are awful. Whether they become law is up to us.
It’s going to be a tough year and a half, folks—but if we do our job right, in 2008 we will have a stem cell--supportive President, a stem cell--supportive Congress-- and stem cell research will take off like a moonshot.
Please take a look. Find your state. Is the information correct? AND WHO IS THE KEY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP IN THAT STATE THAT HELPS WITH STEM CELL RESEARCH ADVOCACY? (If you know, please pass that information along to me—this is probably where I will be doing most of my work in the next year and a half, and would much appreciate your advice.)
PENDING STEM CELL LEGISLATION: Sources: ISSCR, BIO, Hinxton, National Conference of State Legislatures, and Friends.
ALABAMA
Negative: HB 28 would prohibit nuclear transfer.
ARIZONA
Possibly Negative: HB 2770: funding for non-embryonic research. I have not checked this out yet—it may have anti-ESCR laws inside.
CONNECTICUT
Negative: HB6918 would amend current state law to prohibit human cloning by any means.
DELAWARE
Positive: SB 5 Delaware Regenerative Medicine Act, allows SCNT and embryonic stem cell research, prohibits reproductive cloning.
Negative: HB76 prohibits SCNT and hybrid research, devastatingly bad bill.
FLORIDA
NEGATIVE: HB 1065/SB 2496, prohibits state funding of embryonic stem cell research.
POSITIVE: HB 555/SB750 (Rep. Sands) $20 million in funding, and rules allowing for the donation of leftover IVF embryos for HESC research and prohibiting reproductive cloning.
Initiative: NEGATIVE 2008 Citizens for Science and Ethics Initiative, headed by Boca Raton mortgage banker Susan Cutaia, prohibits state money spent on ESCR, SCNT.
Initiative: POSITIVE: Floridians for Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative: 2008 amendment of state constitution providing state funding ($200 million over ten years) Floridians
GEORGIA
Negative: SB 418: (enshrines Hope Act ((S 30)) definitions into law, bans state funding for ESCR, SCNT) called "Saving the Cure Act"
Positive: SB 537: "Search for Cure Act 2006"
HAWAII
Positive: HB 364/SB 1261: Establishes that Hawaii recognizes and approves embryonic stem cell research, including SCNT
ILLINOIS
Positive: SB 4/HB 138: permissions for hESC and SCNT research, possible funding ($25 million) as well.
IOWA
Positive: Governor Culver proposes a $12.5 million Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
KANSAS
Negative: four negative bills: HB 2255, prohibits state funding for anything connected to SCNT—even libraries can’t have SCNT books! HB 2252—felony to participate in human cloning, including receiving of cures, penalty of 52 months in prison and up to $250,000 fine; HB 2254—criminalizes embryonic stem cell research also donation of eggs, sperm or blastocysts for intention of creating embryos for research. HB-2098-definitions bill, inserts damaging and misleading language into law.
MARYLAND
Positive: SB 59: prioritizes state funding for hESCR.
MASSACHUSETTS
POSITIVE! Governor Deval Patrick proposes one billion dollars over ten years and the development of a stem cell bank. Also, Massachusetts has ten bills before the Senate!!! (I don’t know what they are—help, help, anyone?)
MINNESOTA
Positive: HF 34/SF 100: permissions for SCNT and ESCR
MISSOURI
Negative: Bills (House and Senate, SJR 20, SJR 10) to put an initiative on the 2008 ballot to Repeal Amendment 2 and ban SCNT.
NEBRASKA
Negative: LB 700 would make SCNT research a felony.
Positive: LB 580 bans reproductive cloning, protects SCNT.
NEW JERSEY
Positive: New Jersey Stem Cell Research Bond Act: proposed ballot initiative to sell bonds for $230 million for stem cell research.
Negative: A3949, A3950 would reverse current policy and prohibit public funding for hESCR.
NEW MEXICO
Positive: Governor Bill Richardson’s budget includes $10 million for stem cell research.
NEW YORK
Positive: Governor Spitzer requested roughly $1 billion over 10 years for stem cell research. SB 1257 is a permissions bill. SB 2923 creates a Stem Cell Research Institute.
OKLAHOMA
Mostly Positive: Joint Resolution 1010: would allow a voter initiative for a state constitutional amendment, both authorizing hESCR research—and prohibiting the creation of a blastocyst by fertilization for research. (Not clear what this means for SCNT).
Negative: HB 1881 prohibits "destruction of human embryos" in research, also prohibits using cells derived from such "destruction".
SOUTH CAROLINA
Seems Positive: Very long and complicated "Biotechnology Act of 2008" seems to authorize hESCR research, but I have not had time to read it all.
TEXAS
Positive: Joint resolution 43 authorizes a ballot initiative to create a stem cell research institute within the state constitution, and authorize bond sales to pay for it: also prevent the prohibition of SCNT.
Positive: House Bill 2704 bans reproductive cloning while protecting SCNT: also sets up oversight for regenerative medicine.
Negative—House Bill 225 would prohibit state money for biomedical research if the use of federal funds was prohibited as of this past Jan. 1.
VIRGINIA
Mostly Positive: HB 1768, and 2857, permission bills for hESCR. (Not clear about SCNT. HB 2256 would change their Christopher Reeve Stem Cell Research Fund to allow HESCR work—(I find it shocking that a bill about stem cell research could be passed that did not include permissions for both SCNT and hESCR research.) HJ 584 continues a study group on issues.
WASHINGTON
Positive: HB 1336, 1730, and 1732 permissions bills for hESCR.
WISCONSIN
Positive: In Governor Doyle’s budget, $375 million is earmarked for Wisconsin Institute for Discovery: portion will go to stem cell research.