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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USStem cell bill unlikely to pass this year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A controversial bill that would promote non-embryonic stem cell research in Georgia is unlikely to pass the Georgia General Assembly this year.
The House Science and Technology Committee, chaired by Rep. Amos Amerson (R-Dahlonega), did not take action on the bill Thursday morning despite hearing 2 1/2 hours of testimony on the measure earlier this week.
Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), the bill’s sponsor, said he believes the measure has enough support among lawmakers to pass eventually.
“I continue to be encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for the bill,” Shafer wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “The bill would have passed this morning with votes from both parties. I am confident that when the chairman allows the committee to vote, the bill will move forward.”
Senate Bill 148 would require all state hospitals by June 30, 2009, to inform pregnant women that they can donate placenta, umbilical cords and amniotic fluid to either public or private banks for medical research. Georgians who contribute to nondestructive stem cell research would be eligible for a state tax break.
The measure also would establish a 15-member state commission that would oversee a system of umbilical cord blood banks and seek grants for non-destructive stem cell research.
Nothing in Shafer’s bill prohibits embryonic stem cell research, but some critics say the measure contains language that is unnecessary and implies that research involving human embryos is unethical. Several scientists, lawmakers and patient advocates have asked Shafer to remove language in the bill referring to embryonic stem cell research.
But Shafer has refused so far. He and organizations such as Georgia Right to Life and the Georgia Christian Alliance oppose research that destroys human embryos, saying such procedures cross a moral and ethical line.
Last year, one version of Shafer’s bill would have prohibited therapeutic cloning — a process that many scientists argue may someday hold the cure for diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and spinal cord injuries.
Senate lawmakers eventually removed that controversial language, and the measure passed both chambers with overwhelming support. But the bill died on the final day of the session because it failed to get a procedural approval before the clock ran out. Within a few weeks, Gov. Sonny Perdue issued an executive order that resurrected some parts of the bill, including the establishment of a Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank Commission. That order will sunset at the end of the year.
The debate in Georgia has echoed discussion about human embryonic stem cell research and adult stem cell research that have played out on the federal level.
The U.S Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The House of Representatives has already approved a similar measure, but President George W. Bush has said he likely will veto that bill.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: politics
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By Devin Pintozzi
April 13, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this
Supporting adult stem cell research produces proven cures and is non-controversial, why does the science and technology committee not want to take a vote on this? The health of many Georgians can be improved with this measure.