80th Legislature: State Affairs Committee Mucks Up Stem Cell Debate

Dumb, meet dumber. It’s called the House Committee on State Affairs, which last week voted to send to the floor HB 225, a bill which would ban the use of state money for certain biomedical research, namely stem cell research.

Here’s how that vote went down:

Ayes: Representatives Swinford; Van Arsdale; Christian; Flynn; Parker (5).

Nays: Representative Farrar (1).

Present, Not Voting:     None  (0).

Absent: Representatives Paxton; Cook, Byron; Veasey  (3)

First off, Rep. Farrar should be cheered for her forward-thinking approach to this issue and her corageous vote.

The scary thing about this bill is it makes the ban regardless of whether restrictions on federal funding for the research are lifted in the future.

Of course, what we’re doing here in the National Laboratory for Bad Government is flying in the face of more progressive public policy in a host of other states:

*In November 2004 voters in California quickly followed the path of New Jersey with the passage of Proposition 71 to fund adult and embryonic stem cell research. The measure authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3 billion beginning in 2005 not to exceed sale of over $350 million per year.  Training grants have been awarded, but the award of research grants has been slowed by litigation. As a result, the Governor decided to loan the institute $150 million in August 2006, and the institute is currently seeking proposals. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which administers the state stem cell research program, has developed a Scientific Strategic Plan approved by its governing board in December 2006. The plan projects that CIRM will spend over $622 million through FY 2008-09.
*In 2005 the Connecticut legislature passed Senate Bill 934, which created a fund to provide ten million dollars in grants a year over ten years to do the same. Applications for the first round of grant awards were due in July 2006.
*Illinois Governor Blagojevich signed an executive order to create the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute and provide for grants to medical research facilities for adult and embryonic stem cell research. At the same time, the Governor transferred $10 million to this new program, and grants were awarded in April 2006. In August 2006 an additional $5 million in FY 07 funds appropriated to the health department was allocated to the stem cell program and grants were awarded.
*Indiana legislators created an adult stem cell research center at Indiana University. $50,000 dollars has been appropriated to establish the center.
*In 2006 the Maryland legislature created the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, which will provide grants for adult and embryonic stem cell research.  Unused donated materials under this program may not include oocytes.  The Maryland budget for FY 2007 included $15 million for the fund.
*After overriding the Governor’s veto, Massachusetts legislators added two new sections to the statutes on stem cell research.  The first creates an institute for stem cell research and regenerative medicine at the University of Massachusetts with an appropriation of $1,000,000 to be spent on the stem cell biology core.  The second establishes a life sciences center to promote life sciences research in advanced and applied sciences, including but not limited to stem cell research, regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and nanotechnology and creates the Life Sciences Investment Fund to make appropriations, allocations, grants or loans to leverage development and investments in stem cell research and other areas. $10,000,000 was appropriated to the fund.
* In early 2004 New Jersey became the first state to appropriate funds specifically for adult and embryonic stem cell research. State funding for adult stem cell research was already occurring in at least one state, Ohio. In FY05 and FY 06 a total of $23 million in general revenues were allocated to the New Jersey Stem Cell Institute, according to New Jersey’s Commission on Science and Technology. The state of New Jersey awarded its first grants in December 2005. Grants were awarded to 17 institutions for research on stem cells from embryos and other sources.  In December 2006, legislation was enacted that allows the issuance of $270 million in bonds and refunding bonds for capital constructions projects. Proceeds from the bonds will be applied to several facilities, including $150 million for stem cell research facilities in New Brunswick; $50 million for stem cell research facilities in Newark; and $10 million for cord blood collection facilities.

*The Washington legislature created the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, which may result in grants for stem cell research in the future. Planning for the fund is still in process.
*On October 10, 2006 the Wisconsin Governor announced $1 million in funding for Stem Cell Products, Inc., which creates blood products from embryonic stem cells.
*The Virginia legislature has created a fund to support adult stem cell research only. Money was not appropriated at the time the fund was established.

Of course, Chairman David Swinford (R-Dumas) has a lovely little soundbite on this:

“I’m not for embryonic stem cell research, because I believe that life begins at conception and that’s killing a living human being,” said Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, the committee’s chairman.

Once again, the R’s have it all wrong.

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