Wisconsin Right To Life Group Pushes For Stem Cell Limits
Related News: Stem Cells and GovernmentWisconsin's Right to Life Group has requested that the Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee pass an amendment to the new state budget that go further in limiting stem cell research.
These limitations would include:
- No use of state funds "to clone or destroy any human embryos."
- No use of buildings that are built with state funds or are maintained by state funds" for stem cell research involced in the cloning or detruction of human embryos.
- No public employees shall engage in cloning or destroying any human embryos
The state finance committee co-chairman, Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, was reported as saying this past Thursday that he is working on a proposal that would be representative of this group's position.
When asked if he personally supported such restrictions, Fitzgerald replied, "Sure. I think it's important."
A vote by the committee could come as early as today, Fitzgerald said. But he said he didn't know whether a majority of the committee supports the measure.
Susan Armacost, chief lobbyist for Wisconsin Right to Life, said she, too, didn't know whether Republicans have the votes to pass the new restrictions, "but we definitely want a vote on this."
Armacost stressed that the group does not want to affect research using existing stem cell lines that are approved for federal funding. Currently, there are more than 60 such lines, many of which have been developed at the UW-Madison....
Posted on June 6, 2005 11:18 AM