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Background: Unlike the wedge issues of gay and abortion rights, which reliably turn out religious right voters for the Republicans, ballot issues concerning stem cell research may bring out supporters as well as opponents -- and some of those supporters, polls indicate, will be Republicans.
Following the sections on general and federal issues, you will find sections on states in which there are ballot measures and states which have already stepped in to provide financial support for research that the religious right is blocking the federal government from providing.
2007: New Congress relaunches stem cell research legislation; Bush promises to veto again
President Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act,
Issues Executive Order Encouraging Methods That Do Not Destroy Embryos
Kaiser Family Foundation Daily Reports, June 21, 2007
President Bush on Wednesday as expected vetoed a bill (S 5) that would have allowed federal funding for research using stem cells derived from human embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients, Continue.
Stem-Cell Veto Frustrates Advocates
Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Jewish Exponent (Philadelphia), July 05, 2007
WASHINGTON. In the wake of President Bush's second veto of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, Jewish groups are struggling for a new strategy to advance the issue.
"We have to regroup and rethink the strategy; we've done everything we can do," said June Walker, president of Hadassah, which led lobbying for the funding. "I don't know where we go from here."
Enough Republicans support federal funding that Congress passed a stem-cell bill last year, when the GOP was in the majority, prompting Bush to issue his first veto in six years as president. And, after Democrats seized control of Congress last year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made passage of the stem-cell bill a signature issue for her party. Continue.
 Bush Vetoes Embryonic Stem-Cell Bill, Promotes Ethical Research
President said he wants Health and Human Services to pursue alternatives.
Wendy Cloyd, Citizenlink (Focus on the Family), June 20, 2007
President Bush announced his veto today of S.5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, passed by Congress this month. The legislation would have forced taxpayers to pay for research using stem cells taken from destroyed human embryos.
During the ceremony in the East Room of the White House, he also issued an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to promote research that does not destroy life.
Bush said his duty as president is to ensure that stem-cell research is ethically responsible, such as using adult stem cells. Continue
Stem Cell Bill Passes, Faces New Veto
By DAVID ESPO, Associated Press, USAtoday.com, June 7, 2007
The Democratic-controlled Congress passed legislation Thursday to loosen restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, but the bill's supporters lacked the votes needed to override President Bush's threatened veto.
The 247-176 House vote marked the second time in recent weeks that Democratic leaders have chosen to confront Bush over an issue on which they command widespread public support, following a veto struggle over a proposed troop withdrawal timetable from Iraq. Continue.
“It is Cruel for the President’s Theology to Influence Medical Research”
President Bush: Sign the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act - Do not Impede Medical Research
Statement by Secular Coalition for America Director Lori Lipman Brown, June 8, 2007
WASHINGTON - JUNE 8 - The Secular Coalition for America strongly urges President Bush to sign the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S.5), which passed the House today. Medical experts agree that embryonic stem cell research has great potential to help alleviate or even cure many devastating medical conditions.
Last year, President Bush falsely equated each embryo with “unique human life with inherent dignity,” and claimed that stem cell research supported “the taking of human life.” In fact, the stem cells used in medical research are actually taken from blastocysts, spheres of 100-200 cells five to six days after fertilization of a human egg. Imbuing such collections of cells with the qualities of an individual fully formed person, is a theological position, not a scientific or medical one. Continue.
House GOP Leadership Promises Stem Cell Bill Won't Become Law
By Jim Brown, OneNewsNow.com, June 8, 2007
House Republicans are vowing they will uphold President Bush's promised veto of a bill that expands taxpayer funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The bill's supporters passed the bill on Thursday, knowing full well the odds are that the measure will never become law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a ceremony yesterday to celebrate passage of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, claiming the measure offers hope to millions of patients in need of medical cures. Were the measure to become law, it would lift a 2001 White House-imposed moratorium limiting research to then-existing embryonic stem-cell lines, effectively authorizing federal funding of unethical and destructive embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). Within minutes of the bill's passage, President Bush vowed to veto it. Neither vote in the two chambers of Congress appear sufficient to override the threatened veto. Continue.
U.S. House Set to Vote on Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
Life-destroying process has yet to provide a single cure for humans.
By Jennifer Mesko, Focus on the Family, June 4, 2007
The U.S. House is expected to vote this week on S. 5, which would use federal tax dollars to destroy human embryos for stem-cell research. President Bush has promised a veto, an announcement that drew praise from pro-life groups.
In April, the Senate passed the bill, 63-34; 67 votes were needed to override a veto. Supporters of S. 5 continue to argue that embryonic stem cells hold the most promise for medical breakthroughs and cures. "It's unfortunate that members of Congress are willing to fund the destruction of innocent human life," said Dawn Vargo, associate bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action. Continue.
Stem-cell déjà vu as Senate re-passes while Bush promises repeat veto
Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press, April 13, 2007
About the only thing that hasn't been cloned in Washington's debate on embryonic stem cells is the embryos themselves.
The Senate, in a repeat performance April 11, passed the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (S. 5) by a wide -- but not veto-proof -- majority. It was the second time in a year the chamber had approved such a bill.
In January, the House passed its version of the same bill, just as it had a year before.
And, just as before, President Bush vowed to veto the latest bill. The only other time he has used his veto power came last year when he axed the previously passed version of the bill.
In the Senate's latest action, 19 Republicans joined 44 Democrats in voting for the proposal. The 63 votes were identical to the margin the previous bill received in the Senate. Continue
 Support Stem Cell Research
National Council of Jewish Women, April 5, 2007
Soon, the Senate is expected to consider the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S 5), which would commit federal dollars to lifesaving science by reversing a 2001 policy, announced by President Bush, restricting embryonic stem cell research. This legislation which has strong bipartisan support passed both the House and Senate last year but was vetoed by the President. Click here to take action on the website of the National Council of Jewish Women.
National Council of Jewish Women Petition: Support Vital Stem Cell Research
National Council of Jewish Women, January 9, 2007
This week, the House is expected to consider the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (HR 3), a bill that would commit federal dollars to research on this lifesaving science. The National Council of Jewish Women is gathering signatures on a petition to emphasize to Congress the importance of funding stem-cell research. Please click here to sign the petition.
Stem Cell Backers Predict Success in New Congress
Reuters, January 9, 2007
WASHINGTON - Supporters of expanded stem cell legislation predicted victory on Tuesday, saying they have a tide of public opinion to boost them and perhaps enough votes in Congress to override an expected veto from President George W.Bush.
The House of Representatives is expected to take up the stem-cell bill on Thursday, identical to one passed last July that called for broader federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, which Bush vetoed.
Senate action is expected to follow shortly and Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin told reporters: "I predict it will pass overwhelmingly.'' Continue
Stem cell bill a problem for pro-life Dems
Column by Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times, January 4, 2007
Near the top of the new Democratic congressional majority's agenda is passage of federal embryonic stem cell research legislation vetoed last year by President Bush, a measure that will answer a major question. There is no doubt the new bill will pass both houses of Congress. What remains in doubt are the votes to be cast by newly elected Democrats who campaigned as pro-life advocates, particularly Sen. Bob Casey Jr.
Outside of his state of Pennsylvania, Casey is best known as the son of the Democrat most revered in the pro-life movement: the late Gov. Robert Casey. Denied the podium at the 1992 Democratic national convention because of anti-abortion views, the elder Casey planned a serious independent campaign for president before being stopped by poor health. But will the son, less ardent a pro-lifer than the father, vote against the stem cell research bill as he once promised during the campaign? Will seven self-described pro-life Democrats newly elected to the House do the same?
Casey's vote may determine whether Bush's second veto is overridden by the Senate. The House will probably sustain a veto, with or without help from the seven Democrats. Apart from the stem cell bill, at stake is whether pro-lifers have any place in today's Democratic Party. Certainly, that small fraction will be under intense pressure from party leaders. Continue.
Help Defeat Embryonic Stem Cell Legislation
Traditional Values Coalition, January 8, 2007
On January 11, the U.S. House of Representatives will take up debate on H.R. 3, a bill that will expand research on embryonic stem cells and that will result in the killing of human embryos.
No text is yet available of H.R. 3, but it is likely to be modeled after H.R. 810, which was vetoed by President Bush in 2006. H.R. 810 would have set a precedent for the use of human embryos to be killed for their stem cells. It would have effectively overturned President Bush’s policy on stem cells, which permits research on stem cell lines, but not on new embryos to be killed. Continue
Why Is Congress Ignoring The Incredible Promise Of Adult Stem Cells?
Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, Traditional Values Coalition, January 9, 2007
Liberal Republicans and Democrats in Congress are rushing to overturn President Bush’s ban on expanded use of human embryos in stem cell research this week. Under consideration this week is H.R. 3, a bill that is designed to institutionalize the killing of unborn humans for their stem cells.
Why are liberals so determined to expand on the killing of the unborn? They already vigorously defend the so-called "right" of an abortionist to "terminate" the life of unborn children -- even those in the ninth month of life. What drives these individuals to now view human embryos as spare body parts for others? Continue
2007: In the News
Each stored embryo is a stem cell debate
By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY, January 30, 2007
SAN DIEGO — Ingrid Jansson peers through a vapor of liquid nitrogen at frozen embryos conceived for her in a petri dish four years ago. It's the first time she's eyed the surplus from the in vitro fertilization procedure that brought her son Dylan, now 3, into the world.
"It's surreal," says Jansson, 39, as an embryologist fishes out the thin straw containing eight embryos stored at a fertility clinic where she was treated and now works as a nurse. "I don't think about them much, because I have two (children) at home that keep me busy."
As Congress renews debate about funding stem cell research using human embryos, people such as Jansson are thinking hard about what to do with excess embryos after their families are complete. Only they — not politicians, doctors or ethicists — are legally entitled to make the call. Continue.
July 2006. The vote and Bush veto on stem cell research bills
Democrats seek gains in stem-cell issue
After Bush's veto last week, it could be a tipping point that favors Democrats in key races, experts say.
By Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, July 28, 2006
WASHINGTON – President Bush's veto last week of legislation supporting embryonic stem-cell research put the issue to rest for now, at least in Congress.
But as a political matter, the issue is far from over. On Monday, presidential spokesman Tony Snow softened the rhetoric on stem cells, saying that Mr. Bush in fact does not consider the destruction of human embryos for such research to be "murder," but rather "the destruction of human life."
To supporters of such research, the shift signaled a concern that the White House needed to reach out to moderate Republican voters who are vital in several key races, many in suburban districts, as the GOP seeks to keep control of Congress. Continue
Bush rejects stem cell bill with his first veto
By Richard Benedetto and Andrea Stone, USA TODAY, July 20, 2006
WASHINGTON — President Bush issued his first veto in 5½ years in office Wednesday, rejecting a bill that would have overturned his policy limiting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Bush's veto came in the face of strong public support for research and bipartisan congressional backing for the bill. Continue
Bush's Veto of Stem Cell Research Risky
President Bush's First Veto Threat Against Stem Cell Research Is a Political Risk
By Nedra Pickler, AP, Red Orbit, July 20, 2006
WASHINGTON Jul 20, 2006 (AP)— After waiting 5 1/2 years to make good on a veto threat, President Bush used his first to underscore his politically risky stand against federal funding for the embryonic stem cell research that most Americans support. Continue
Expected Stem-cell Vote Poses Dilemmas for Republican Hopefuls
By Jennifer Siegel, Forward, July 14, 2006
The presidential elections are more than two years away, but some Beltway insiders are already dubbing the Senate's impending consideration of embryonic stem-cell research "a 2008 vote." Continue
Looking to Win in November, With a 2-Year-Old Playbook
By Adam Nagourney, New York Times, April 16, 2006
"In 2004, Karl Rove declared that President Bush would win re-election if Republicans turned out millions of religious and other conservative voters who had stayed home in 2000. And they did just that, with the help of voter outreach campaigns, a network of church appeals and state initiatives that would ban gay marriage.
"Yet there is a strong sense among Republicans that the gay rights issue is not as powerful as it once was... Republicans are running out of contested states where such a ballot could qualify and pass, and gay rights groups have been more aggressive in fighting these initiatives as they appear...
"Beyond that, Republican officials said candidates in culturally conservative parts of the country would try to fight efforts to allow stem cell research." Click here for the report
Democrats Hope to Divide G.O.P. Over Stem Cells
By Sheryl Gay Stohlberg, The New York Times, April 24, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo., April 19 - Democrats are pressing their support for embryonic stem cell research in Congressional races around the country, seeking to move back to center stage an issue they believe resonates with voters and to exploit a division between conservatives who oppose the science and other Republicans more open to it. Continue
Democrats counting on stem-cell stance in November
By Jill Zuckman, The Chicago Tribune, March 26, 2006
"Democrats around the country are counting on the stem cell issue to give them a boost in November's congressional elections." Click here to read the report
Stem-cell rules criticized
Researchers say the U.S. is falling behind other countries in the field. Federal policies restrict funding
By Jason Gertzen, The Kansas City Star, April 15, 2006
CHICAGO - The scientist who once touted stem cells' tantalizing promise on Time magazine's cover is sounding an alarm about the future of his field. Continue
Look to states for leadership
By Scot Lehigh, The Boston Globe, April 25, 2006
The states have long been the laboratories of democracy -- and these days, those public-policy workshops are striving to fill a vacuum created by the federal government.
From global warming to healthcare and stem cell research, the states are moving into areas where the Bush administration declines to take meaningful action. Continue
Federal legislation
Brownback Wants Senate to Debate Bioethics Before Stem-Cell Vote
Kansas senator says it's criminal to divert funds from successful research.
Peter Winn, Focus on the Family via Newsbull.com, June 21, 2006
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback said Tuesday he plans to call for a floor debate on bioethics when the chamber takes up H.R. 810, an embryonic stem-cell research bill that life advocates oppose.
At a news conference, Brownback, R-Kan., said he opposes the bill that would rescind the policy President Bush put in place in August 2001. The policy limits the use of embryonic stem-cells to lines in existence before 2001. Continue
Stem Cell Research is 'Baby Part Business,' Say Prolifers
Monisha Bansal, Christian New Service, June 20, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - Religious conservatives Monday criticized legislation in the U.S. Senate that would use federal taxpayer dollars to pay for embryonic stem cell research. "The Senate should not be tinkering in the baby body parts business, except to ban it and to punish it," said Paul Chaim Schenck, director of the National Pro-Life Action Center.
Stem cells can be cultivated to form various human tissues. Adult stem cells and those taken from umbilical cord blood are currently used to treat 65 conditions, according to Schenck's group. Continue
Reform Jewish Leader Marks One-Year Anniversary of House Passage of Stem Cell Legislation and Calls on Senator Frist for Further Action
Pelavin: One full year now has passed – and we are exactly where we were. We are not one single step closer even to letting the Senate vote on this legislation, which spells the difference between life and death for so many.
News Release, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, May 23, 2006
The Religious Action Center calls on Senate Majority Leader Bill First to bring S 471, legislation providing funding for stem cell research, to the floor. Go to the statement.
Proponents Press Senate on Stem Cell Research Measure
By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post, May 24, 2006
A full year after the House passed legislation that would loosen President Bush's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, the Senate is coming under intense pressure to tackle the controversial bill -- in the awkward new context of an election year.
The legislation, which Bush has repeatedly threatened to veto, would allow the National Institutes of Health to fund research on human embryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics. It is backed by science and patient-advocacy groups, and was endorsed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) last summer, when momentum behind the research was at a peak.
But the political calculus around stem cells has changed in unexpected ways since then, raising questions about how Frist can fulfill his promises to bring the bill to a vote without weakening his appeal to conservatives as he considers a 2008 presidential run. Continue
California
Initiative foes continue fight
Terri Somers, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 7, 2007
Opponents of California's $3 billion stem cell initiative yesterday asked the state Supreme Court to hear their arguments that it violates the constitution. Continue
President to retire within six months
By Terri Somers, San Diego Union-Tribune, December 8, 2006
IRVINE – Feeling his work is just about done, Zach Hall announced yesterday that he will step down as president of California's fledgling stem cell institute within the next six months.
“The institute has money in the bank now. There is infrastructure in place. And some of our initial organizational problems seem to be working out positively, so I think this is a good time for you to look for a new president,” Hall said in breaking the news to the 29-member board that oversees the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Continue.
State unveils $3 billion stem cell research plan
Terri Somers, Union-Tribune, October 4, 2006
California's proposed plan for spending $3 billion on stem cell research includes creating a state-wide stem cell bank and other facilities that scientists can share, as well as funding the study of human egg and embryo development, tissue engineering and inter-disciplinary teams of scientists.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which is charged with distributing up to $350 million annually for the controversial research, released the tentative scientific strategic plan Wednesday. Click here
Stem cell group seeks quick end to challenge
By Rebecca Vesely, Inside Bay Area, June 15, 2006
The California Attorney General's office on Wednesday filed a motion to speed up the appeals process in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state's stem cell research program.
The motion, filed in the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, requests that a court date be set for oral arguments within about 100 days. Continue
Research institute sets target for next spring
By Terri Somers, San Diego Union-Tribune, June 3, 2006
Having survived 18 months on $22 million in donations and loans, California's groundbreaking stem cell institute now aims to raise $100 million from philanthropists by next spring.
That would be enough to make another round of grants and cover overhead well into 2007 while the institute continues to fight legal changes that have frozen state funding, institute chairman Robert Klein said yesterday in La Jolla. Continue
Judge upholds constitutionality; case expected to go to high court
By Terri Somers, Union-Tribune (San Diego, California), April 22, 2006
A state judge upheld the constitutionality of California's novel $3 billion stem cell initiative yesterday in a ruling that is expected to immediately open the funding tap for the controversial research. Continue
California judge upholds constitutionality of stem cell research program
by Greg Sampson, The Jurist (University of Pittsburgh School of Law), April 22, 2006
A concise summary of the case with links to a number of relevant documents and sites. Click here
Illinois
Illinois joins states funding stem cell research
By Philip Ewing, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 24, 2006
As Gov. Rod Blagojevich awarded Illinois' first grants for stem cell research, all 27 Republicans in the state senate wrote him in opposition to any more such spending. Blagojevich's Republican opponent in November's gubernatorial election, however, does not oppose stem cell research. Click for the report
Kansas
House committee hears debate on stem cell research
By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, February 6, 2007
Conflict over stem-cell research escalated to the point Wednesday that two medical professionals engaged in a verbal scuffle over scientific terms used to describe the controversial research.
A University of Kansas Medical Center researcher and a Family Research Council employee tried to tiptoe through the scientifically and ethically charged issue to offer insight on a House bill that would place definitions into state law to guide future dialogue on stem-cell research as it relates to human cloning.
The bill is backed by advocates of a ban on human cloning in Kansas. Continue.
Maryland
Stem cell research industry leaders buoyed
A measure to ensure $15 million in state funding will help keep Maryland companies competitive, executives say
by Steve Berberich, Gazette.net (Maryland Community Newspapers Online), April 6, 2006
With the General Assembly last week earmarking $15 million for stem cell research, many experts say that Maryland, already a national leader in biotechnology, is well positioned in the budding stem cell field. Continue
Massachusetts
MD Calls Harvard-Children's Hospital Embryonic Research Plans 'a Shame'
Mary Rettig and Jenni Parker, Agape Press, June 9, 2006
Dr. David Stevens, the executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), says it is nothing short of a tragedy that Harvard is teaming up with a Boston hospital to clone human embryos.
On Tuesday, scientists at Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and Children's Hospital Boston announced they will be working to clone human embryos to generate stem cell lines for disease treatment. The Harvard Gazette reports that after more than two years of intensive ethical and scientific review, HSCI and Children's Hospital have been cleared to begin experiments using somatic cell nuclear transfer to create disease-specific stem cell lines in the hope of developing treatments for a wide range of afflictions that are presently incurable. Continue
Stowerses up investment in Mass. institute
Kansas City Business Journal, June 23, 2006
The founders of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research will invest another $4.75 million in embryonic stem cell research at an institute in Cambridge, Mass., Massachusetts General Hospital reported Friday...
The Stowerses said they made the out-of-state research investment because perennial legislative attempts to criminalize embryonic stem cell research in Missouri have thwarted efforts to establish embryonic stem cell research here. Continue
Missouri
Bill would change immunization rules
by Kit Wagar, St. Louis Jewish Light, April 5, 2007
Treating and preventing many common illnesses used to be simple.
A doctor gave you a prescription, you took it to the drug store and a pharmacist filled the order. Childhood illnesses that devastated earlier generations had been zapped by vaccines for polio, mumps and chicken pox.
Not any more. With the rise of the religious right, many of the miracles of modern medicine — from children's vaccinations to birth control to emerging treatments derived through stem cell research — have become battlegrounds in the morality wars.
Bills have been filed this year that would cut off access to emergency contraception and allow pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription if they had a moral objection to the medication. Continue.
Loan sale unifies stem cell adversaries
Graham confronts Floyd on curators’ stance.
By Terry Ganey, Columbia Tribune, February 1, 2007
JEFFERSON CITY- The Mizzou Flagship Council and Missouri Right to Life seem to have little in common.
But yesterday both groups found themselves on the same side for different reasons - opposing a plan to sell student loans for college building projects.
The Mizzou Flagship Council is against the plan because embryonic stem cell research is prohibited in the new buildings that would be built with the loan sale proceeds, according to agreements reached by state officials and a University of Missouri Board of Curators resolution. Continue.
Missouri voters narrowly approve stem cell ballot measure
AP, ChristianPost.com November 8, 2006
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Strong support in urban areas of a state constitutional amendment protecting stem cell research offset widespread opposition in rural counties as the measure narrowly passed with just over 51 percent of the vote. Preliminary results showed the amendment winning support from 51.1 percent of the electorate with 98 percent of precincts reporting, a margin of about 46,800 votes. Continue.
Missouri Pro-Life Advocates May Seek Repeal of Human Cloning Prop
by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, November 9, 2006
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates in Missouri aren't giving up their efforts to stop the advance of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. State voters approved Amendment 2 there by a very narrow margin and advocates may put together a vote to repeal the constitutional amendment.
The amendment received just 51 percent of the vote and won by a small 50,000 vote margin out of more than two million votes cast.
Some lawmakers are already warming up to the idea of trying to repeal the amendment in 2008. Continue.
Embryonic stem cell research tallies narrow win in Mo.
By Bob Baysinger, Baptist Press, Nov 8, 2006
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (BP)--Missouri voters approved a state constitutional change Nov. 7 to protect embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning.
Missouri Baptists, who donated $100,000 to fight the measure, along with other evangelical groups and Catholics battled hard against Amendment 2 but were outspent by a wide margin. Of about $30 million spent on the battle, $29 million was spent by Amendment 2 proponents. Continue.
Cardinals' Suppan Pitching and Politicking
By Joe LaPointe, The New York Times, October 25, 2006
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 25 - Jeff Suppan is scheduled to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series at Busch Stadium, but his time on the mound will not be his only appearance on the baseball telecast.
Suppan is one of several athletes in a political campaign commercial to be broadcast regionally during the Fox network’s telecast of the game. The ad urges Missouri voters to oppose stem-cell research and vote against Amendment 2 to the state constitution, on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election.
In a video copy of the ad, produced and distributed by an anti-amendment group called Missourians Against Human Cloning and posted on the Internet, Mr. Suppan’s face appears in the first 10 seconds. He is not wearing a baseball cap in the ad. Continue.
Jewish groups back stem-cell resarch amendment
By: Rick Hellman, Editor, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, September 29, 2006
The Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee have come out strongly in favor of the "stem-cell research and cures initiative" that will be submitted to voters in Missouri Nov. 7. Continue.
Actress used in anti-stem cell ad
Doctor says side effects of egg donation are overstated.
By Lucie Wolken, The Columbia Missourian, October 26, 2006
JEFFERSON CITY - One of the most emotional TV ads about the Nov. 7 stem cell research proposal features a young woman in tears sharing her experiences selling her eggs to a fertility clinic. Sitting on a bed and describing herself as a college student, she talks about the potential adverse health affects from her actions.
However, there is one part of her story that was left untold to viewers -- she is an actress.
The Vitae Caring Foundation, a group that creates educational ads on stem cell research, sponsored the ad in opposition to the November ballot issue that would provide a state constitutional right for stem cell research. The ad includes no disclaimer. Continue.
Churches joining stem cell showdown
By Jo Mannies and Tim Townsend, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 29, 2006
The biggest Baptist church in Jefferson City will host a rally Monday night that is the first shot in what some portray as a three-month holy war over Missouri's November ballot proposal to protect all forms of stem-cell research allowed under federal law.
Religious groups on both sides are expecting national attention and aid. Continue
Election 2006 | Missouri Gov. Supports Stem Cell Research Ballot Measure But Will Not Campaign for It, Spokesperson Says
Kaisernetwork.org, July 17, 2006
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) continues to support a stem cell research-related state ballot measure but will not campaign for its passage, Blunt spokesperson Spence Jackson said, the St. Louis Dispatch reports (Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/13). The proposal, titled the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, would allow stem cell research that involves somatic cell nuclear transfer, which some consider a type of human cloning. Continue
Stowerses up investment in Mass. institute
Kansas City Business Journal, June 23, 2006
The founders of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research will invest another $4.75 million in embryonic stem cell research at an institute in Cambridge, Mass., Massachusetts General Hospital reported Friday...
The Stowerses said they made the out-of-state research investment because perennial legislative attempts to criminalize embryonic stem cell research in Missouri have thwarted efforts to establish embryonic stem cell research here. Continue
Ad Thanks Voters for Signing Stem Cell Initiative Petitions
News Release, Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, May 12, 2006
ST. LOUIS, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving
Cures began running a TV ad statewide today to thank voters who signed
petitions allowing a public vote on the Missouri Stem Cell Research and
Cures Initiative. The Coalition, which includes more than 50 leading
patient and medical groups and 46,000 Missouri citizens, recently submitted
nearly twice as many signatures as needed to place the stem cell referendum
measure on the November ballot. Continue
Sen. Talent Opposes Stem Cell Measure
Senator Says Opposition Is Personal, Not Political
KMBC-TV (Kansas City), May 2, 2006
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For Missouri Sen. Jim Talent, his position against a state ballot initiative to protect embryonic stem cell research isn't political -- it's personal.
"I cannot support a constitutional amendment with a right to clone," Talent told KMBC's Micheal Mahoney in a telephone interview Tuesday.
Despite his opposition, the Missouri Republican is not urging other Missourians to vote one way or another. He said that's a decision voters have to reach on their own.
But his likely Democratic opponent for the Senate, State Auditor Claire McCaskill, said Talent is just trying to "muddy the waters" on a tough issue. Continue
Sen. Talent Announces Opposition To Proposed Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ballot Initiative, Supporters Submit Signatures
Medical News Today, May 5, 2006
U.S. Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) on Monday announced his opposition to a ballot proposal that would amend the Missouri Constitution to ensure that embryonic stem cell research permitted under federal law is protected in the state, the Kansas City Star reports. Continue
Stem cell squabble in Missouri endangers $40 million
By Matt Franck and Rachel Melcer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 2006
JEFFERSON CITY - Nearly $40 million once set aside by Missouri to support life science research and commercialization could soon become a casualty of the state's battle over the legality of embryonic stem cell research.
Over the objections of Gov. Matt Blunt, the Missouri House has opted to not include the money in its version of the budget passed earlier this month. Now, many question if the Senate will restore the funds... Continue
Pastor at Blunt's church differs with him on therapeutic cloning
By Josh Flory, The Columbia Daily Tribune, April 22, 2006
Although he opposes abortion, Gov. Matt Blunt supports the effort to qualify a ballot measure to permit cloning embryo stem cells because the procedure doesn't involve sperm. Click here to read the report
Lawsuit Seeks To Stop Stem Cell Ballot Initiative
KMBC-TV (Kansas City), November 28, 2005
Opponents of embryonic stem cell research, represented by the religious right Alliance Defense Fund, are suing Missouri's secretary of state to try to block an initiative protecting stem cell research from appearing on the 2006 ballot. Click for the report
New Jersey
Stem cell legislation on hold in Assembly
Lower house delays vote on the two bills as one of the measures advances in Senate
By Tom Hester, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), June 27, 2006
A two-bill package championed by Senate President Richard Codey that would pump $480 million or more into stem cell research in New Jersey has stalled in the Legislature until at least the autumn, its prime Assembly sponsor said yesterday. Continue
New York
Spitzer Unveils $1 Billion Stem Cell Proposal
By Bruce Lambert, The New York Times, April 25, 2006
Staking a position on a politically sensitive issue, Eliot Spitzer, who is running for governor, promised at a press conference on Wednesday that his administration would push for a $1 billion bond to pay for stem cell and other medical research. Continue
Spitzer ally promotes stem cell plan
By Lauren Stanforth, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, April 25, 2006
David A. Paterson, the New York state Senate Democratic leader and a candidate for lieutenant governor, visited the University of Rochester Medical Center on Monday to promote his and gubernatorial running mate Eliot Spitzer's proposal to spend $1 billion on stem cell research. Continue
Wisconsin
Commission gives green light to research institutes at University of Wisconsin-Madison
By Ryan Foley, The Chicago Tribune, April 15, 2006
MADISON, Wis. -- The State Building Commission approved plans Wednesday for a $150 million project to build twin research institutes on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
The commission voted 7-1 to build the institutes -- one public, one private -- using $50 million in state funds and $100 million in private donations. The institutes are to bring together teams of researchers from different disciplines, ranging from computer science to biology, to find cures for disease and tackle other scientific problems. Continue
Former Thompson lawyer sees nothing legally wrong with Doyle executive order
Joe Vanden Plas, Wisconsin Technology Network, April 29, 2006
Madison, Wis. - A former chief legal counsel to former Gov. Tommy Thompson said there is nothing inappropriate from a legal standpoint with Gov. Jim Doyle's April 25 executive order on stem cells. Continue
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