Stem cell research bill dies on Oregon House floor
Stem cell research bill dies on Oregon House floor
06/22/2007
By JULIA SILVERMAN
Associated Press
Anti-abortion groups scored a rare victory Thursday in a legislative session that's been dominated by Democratic priorities, by derailing a bill that would have put Oregon among the growing number of states exploring public funding for stem cell research.
California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all launched such programs, and supporters in Oregon had sketched out the guidelines for the state to follow suit.
Plans called for spending about $160,000 over the next 18 months to support a committee of researchers, medical ethicists, family law specialists and members of the public. The group would be charged with writing guidelines for future state investment in stem cell research, and seeking both public and private donations.
But the proposal infuriated anti-abortion groups, who don't want to see stem cells harvested from embryos used for scientific research.
Usually, such embryos are left over from fertility clinics; adult stem cells are also used for research purposes. But the Oregon proposal also makes reference to stem cells that are created from a process called "nuclear transfer" — in which the nucleus is removed from a female egg, and replaced with a nucleus from another part of the body that contains the DNA necessary to form an embryo.
For scientists, such embryo creation holds great promise to find cures for diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, said Dr. Dan Dorsa, vice president for research at Oregon Health & Science University. Scientists don't yet know which source of stem cells will be most effective, Dorsa said, and need to be able to gather as much information as possible.
But for anti-abortion groups, such procedures veer dangerously close to human cloning.
"The creation of a brand new life for the specific purpose of destroying it really resonates with our folks," said Lois Anderson, political director for Oregon Right to Life. "It is devaluing the dignity of human life."
Researchers, though, have said there would never be a case in which an embryo created through nuclear transfer would be implanted into a womb, and carried through a pregnancy.
"The scientific community in general would reject any potential use of the embryo so derived to create human beings. That would raise huge ethical issues," Dorsa said.
Two Republicans had joined with Democrats to sponsor the bill in its original incarnation — Rep. Vicki Berger of Salem and Rep. Bob Jenson of Pendleton. Both said Thursday they had changed their minds after learning more about the proposal. But sources at the Capitol said they could also have been warned that a vote for the measure could bring on a primary challenge.
"I am a strong believer in the potential of stem cell research," said Jenson, who has type-2 diabetes. "But when I spend taxpayer money for something some believe is immoral, I need a little more time to think about it than in this session."
The entire Republican caucus in the House voted against the bill, along with a single Democrat, Rep. Betty Komp of Woodburn, who represents a heavily Catholic district.
"My Democratic colleagues have been very gracious and accepting that we do have differences of belief, and I need to vote my beliefs and values," said Komp, a Catholic who said she had prayed over her vote.
The final vote was 30 "yes" votes and 29 "no" votes, but a measure needs at least 31 votes to pass. Rep. Larry Galizio, D-Tigard, then changed his vote, opening the door for the bill to return for one more go-around.
Stem cell research could emerge as a potent issue in upcoming elections, and could be a liability for Republicans in a general election. A 2005 poll by Portland-based Riley Research Associates showed widespread support, with 74 percent of Oregonians saying they'd like to see an increase in the amount of stem cell research being conducted, and 56 percent saying taxpayer money should be used to fund such research.
Supporters of the bill pledged that the topic will resurface, if not this year than in upcoming sessions.
"We have a moral imperative to help provide hope, and perhaps cures, to all these debilitating diseases," Galizio said.
But Gayle Atteberry, who leads Oregon Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, said Thursday's action makes it a "successful session" for her organization.
Earlier this week, President Bush vetoed embryonic stem cell legislation for the second time in his presidency.
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