LANSING – Members of the Michigan House Republican caucus unveiled a package of bills Wednesday that they say will be a boon to adult stem cell research.
The bills would create a statewide umbilical cord bank network with $5 million in funding from the state’s securitized tobacco settlement monies, allow cord banks to apply for 21st Century Jobs Fund grants, offer $100 tax credits for cash donations made to nonprofit cord banks and require the state to promote the cord network with educational materials.
Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Portage), one of the legislative package sponsors, said the bills are “giving a kick start to provide for research and development.”
He added, “My money is on adult stem cells because it’s making the breakthroughs.”
And Rep. Leslie Mortimer (R-Horton), another bill sponsor, said, “Informing the public and raising awareness are the first steps in helping people build better and healthier lives.”
Since the legislation deals with umbilical cords solely, Rep. Glenn Steil (R-Cascade), said, “We are not allowing our scientific research to tamper with sanctity of life issues.”
But Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale), who has called for the state to remove the barriers to embryonic stem cell research, said that the plan ignores an area of research that has a great amount of potential.
While he supports the Republican initiative because he supports all stem cell research, “there is an attempt to spin and confuse the issue” and that the decisions on what research should be conducted should be left up to responsible doctors.
Embryonic stem cell research has not flourished completely even with private donations because states’ like Michigan have put up restrictions, he said.
“Embryonic stem cells have the capacity that adult stem cells may never have,” Meisner said.
This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com
