Just as President Obama removed Bush-era Federal funding restrictions on stem cell research, the State of Georgia is moving to restrict the same research and drive in a wedge provision that would appear to be a preface to making abortion illegal as well.
I contacted the office of State Senator David Adelman via e-mail (the address is David.Adelman@senate.ga.gov):
Dear Mr. [EOSG] - A blast e-mail is attached, but I wanted to respond
personally as well.
Right now, contacting the leadership in the Senate, your representatives
in the House and the Governor's office are your best bets. You can find
their numbers at www.legis.ga.gov. If you're interested in mobilizing
more, there are certainly ways to do so. These measures are important
enough to merit a grass-roots organization, petitions, protests etc.
This legislation has to pass by Thursday to make it this legislative
session - so there's not much time now.
As for the next legislation cycle, you can make sure the people you vote
on are opposed to bills like SB 169 by checking their voting history and
positions on stem-cell research and IVF.
If you have any more specific questions, or want the contact information
of lobbyists or other representatives, feel free to write back.
We appreciate all the support!
~Daniel Schiff
Dear concerned citizen,
My name is Daniel Schiff and I am Sen. Adelman's Legislative Aide.
Thank you very much for contacting the Senator on this extremely
important issue and for sharing your viewpoints and touching personal
stories. The issues touched by SB 169 are emotionally laden and
difficult, and this came through clearly in the correspondence.
We have received thousands of e-mails pertaining to SB 169 and therefore
we are unfortunately unable to respond individually to each one.
However, we wanted to update you on the status of this legislation.
On Thursday, March 5th, the Senate Health & Human Services Committee
voted 12-3 to send the original version of the bill to a subcommittee
for further study. The subcommittee met Monday, March 9th, at 9:30, to
consider substitute legislation. The subcommittee voted 2-1 (with
Senator Adelman as the dissenting vote) to send the substitute bill to
the entire committee for consideration.
The new SB 169 departs from the original in several ways. Most
importantly, it has made several concessions to supporters of in-vitro
fertilization, many of whom have come to the committee hearings in
opposition to this bill. First, the substitute bill removes the
restrictions on compensation for the donation of gametes, meaning that
sperm and egg donors can be compensated. Second, the sections limiting
the number of embryos that can be transferred at any one time have been
stricken. Third, the bill now makes clear that cryopreservation for the
sole purpose of initiating pregnancy in the future is permissible.
However, the legislation still limits the creation of embryos for
research, though other lines from out-of-state can still be used for
in-state research. The measure also defines an embryo as a human being. [Emphasis mine - EOSG]
Senator Adelman spoke in both the subcommittee and committee meetings,
emphasizing the concerns of interested citizens as well as the voices of
the medical, biotechnology and university communities. First and
foremost, Senator Adelman believes that this very complex and
emotionally-fraught issue should be very carefully evaluated before any
legislation is passed to ensure that all consequences-intended and
unintended-are taken into consideration. The rapid progression of this
legislation means that a comprehensive review has not been conducted by
the Georgia Senate. Senator Adelman further believes that the passage
of SB 169 would send the message that Georgia is an anti-science state
and have negative implications for the scientific community, for the
economy of the state and for all the people who could benefit from
embryonic stem cell research.
Because of these beliefs, Sen. Adelman proposed sending the bill to a
subcommittee for further study, and his measure failed by a vote of 6-6.
Afterwards, the committee voted to approve the substitute bill 7-6, and
it will be considered by the Senate Rules Committee. If it passes
through the Rules Committee, which Sen. Adelman sits on, it will be
voted on by the full Senate. This coming Thursday, March 12, is the
final day legislation can pass the Senate and cross over to the House of
Representatives for the 2009 session.
We encourage your continued involvement. Please feel free to contact
your legislators in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Additionally, you can contact the office of the Governor, Sonny Purdue,
at (404)-656-1776.
Again, thank you so much for your correspondence. Sen. Adelman
appreciates your input very much. Hearing from concerned citizens and
constituents helps him to best represent the interests of the people of
Georgia. If you have questions or comments and would like further
discussion, please feel free to e-mail back [again, david.adelman@senate.ga.gov - EOSG] and we will try to get back
to you individually as soon as possible.
Best wishes,
Daniel Schiff
Legislative Aide, Sen. David Adelman, District 42
So let's be sure to throw Sen. Adelman in the "sane" column, keep track of who's running against the lawmakers who are behind this bill, and support them going forward. And if you're in Georgia, contact the appropriate legislators and let them know how you feel.