Stem Cell Battle Flares
Stem Cell Battle Flares
March 14, 2009
By Dahleen Glanton
Tribune Newspapers
ATLANTA — Faced with a new federal policy that opens the door for more embryonic stem cell research, conservatives have geared up for a political battle at national and state levels that goes to the core of their beliefs about the sanctity of human life.
Since President Barack Obama lifted the eight-year ban on nearly all federal funding for stem cell research on Monday, conservative leaders said they have stepped up efforts to lobby Congress to preserve some restrictions. They say they plan to launch a far-reaching campaign to educate the public about the threat to life as well as research alternatives that are not as invasive.
"This executive order is just the beginning of the process. Our concern is how broad this will be interpreted, and will there be limitations," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative think tank. "With limited tax dollars available, we should not use those funds for research that is at best morally questionable."
Embryonic stem cell research has long been a divisive issue in the U.S., pitting opponents who argue that cultivating or destroying human embryos is morally wrong against supporters who tout the potentially live-saving qualities of the studies. Ethical debates have been waged in Congress, the public and within the religious community since researchers at the University of Wisconsin successfully harvested the first stem cells from human embryos in 1995.
Several states in recent years have lined up on either side of the issue, taking steps to promote research despite the shortage of funds or passing laws to restrict studies.
The latest challenge came in Georgia, where conservative lawmakers rushed this week to introduce legislation that defines an embryo as a person, thus prohibiting its use in scientific research and making it illegal for researchers to create new ones.
According to conservative leaders, Georgia's move was the first of many to come.
Eight states— California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin—had moved ahead with research despite the federal ban, according to lists compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Research is legal in Iowa and Missouri, though no funding was included in legislation. Stem cell research is restricted in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota, though in some cases the courts have not yet ruled on whether the legislation is legal.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant
