Anti-abortion group's suit blocks stem cell funding


The suit is mostly a delay tactic. The basic claim of the suit is that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is not under the control of taxpayers, even though 27 of the 29 members of the oversight committee were appointed by elected officials.

Court action has thrown state plans to issue bonds for research into question
(San Mateo County Times) FACED WITH a legal challenge and sustained criticism over conflicts of interest and open meeting laws, the state's landmark stem cell research program likely won't start issuing grants until at least the fall.

The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court on Wednesday after the state Supreme Court denied a request to hear the case, challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 71, the ballot initiative passed by voters in November to create the $3 billion research program.

The court action has thrown the state's plans to issue bonds for funding stem cell research into question. Until bonds are issued, no grants can be distributed.

"If you issue the bonds under a cloud, the bonds could be unmarketable," said Nathan Barankin, spokesman for state Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

The suit was brought by the People's Advocate and National Tax Limitation Foundation and represented by Dana Cody, an attorney with the anti-abortion group Life Legal Defense Foundation. The group alleges that the state illegally put taxpayer funds in the hands of an agency not under state control.


Delay tactic or not, this is still cause for major concern: Other states are starting to follow California's lead on this, and the scientific talent will go where the funding profile is most stable. Once researchers have set down roots, they'll be far less likely to relocate to California once we've sorted out all of the legal challenges.

I think that those of us who supported Prop 71 need to consider this issue very seriously, and start doing something positive to get the money flowing. Something other than forming unholy alliances with anti-abortion forces and loudly proclaiming from the rooftops that we, too, can see that there are structural problems with CIRM. Something other offering up that we, too, have a crappy idea that we'd like to yoke around CIRM's neck so that we can score points among the most ignorant voters..

Posted: Tue - April 12, 2005 at 10:24 AM   | Category:     |   |   | |


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