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Despite a recent poll that showed 69 percent of voters favor the idea, the Senate Republicans unanimously rejected Gov. Blagojevich’s stem cell research proposal yesterday. Bill Brady led the charge.
A group of Senate Republicans threatened Tuesday to block passage of this year’s budget if it contains funding for stem cell research. All 27 Senate Republicans signed a letter to Gov. Rod Blagojevich opposing the governor’s proposal to use $15 million for embryonic stem cell research. Currently, $10 million is set aside for that purpose.Blagojevich has proposed using at least $100 million over five years from state tobacco settlement funds for stem cell research grants.
“It is wrong to exploit human life for research purposes,†said state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, R-Elgin, who is running for lieutenant governor. “To purposefully create human life to exploit it is just wrong.†[…]
State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said support from across the aisle would effectively defeat legislation regarding stem cell research.
40 percent of Republicans supported the proposal in that poll, while 51 percent were opposed.
UPDATE: This story has not been getting any play at all. But it is an important part of the stem cell debate:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich quietly filed an executive order that essentially eliminates legislative oversight of his controversial stem cell research grant program, The News-Gazette has learned.When the General Assembly failed to pass a bill for state-funded stem cell research last spring, Blagojevich circumvented the legislative process and issued an executive order creating the Illinois Regenerative Institute for Stem Cell Research.
The July 2005 executive order required the Illinois Department of Public Health to adopt rules for the issuance and administration of stem cell research grants, funded by $10 million that had been hidden in the budget under the vague description of “scientific research.”
Those rules would have had to have been approved by the General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Administrative Rules, a panel made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate.
A new executive order, filed on Feb. 10, amended the old executive order by eliminating the requirement that rules be adopted to govern the grant program.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 8:36 am
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That story is a shocker. Bill Brady is against science. Who knew?
Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 9:05 am
I am in support of stem cell research, as long as it uses adult stem cells or stem cells from the umbilical cord of a newborn. I believe this is the Brady position.I am not in favor of embryonic stem cell research, as it involves killing an embryo expressly for the purpose of extracting stem cells. This seems inhuman to me. Also, given the precarious state of Illinois’ finances (the state is essentially bankrupt), and that the gov has seen fit to not even make a payment on state pensions this year, it should be a lower priority. Finally there is always the question of whether taxpayers should fund such a controversial program.
Comment by Backyard Conservative Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 9:06 am
Do a quick study on embryonic stem cell research (esc) and you will find that all it has produced is tumors in rats and “promise”, while adult stem cell research (asc) has actually produced medical advancement. Esc is just another way the Lefties are trying to make the concept of abortion acceptable to the public. Here is a very good cause, and the life is oh so little.
Comment by Right Wing Republican Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 9:23 am
I think we need to do some stem cell research on Rod’s hair…we could end baldness in IL…While I’m favor of stem cell research Blago shouldn’t be going around the system,not that i’m surprised. As far as embryos go, I guess it all depends on when your definition of life starts…As someone who has had family members afflicted with Parkinson’s and Altzheimer’s to see them waste away to nothing is truly heart breaking. Call me selfish, but I think its more important to ensure people don’t have to endure these type of things rather than quarrel over whether an embryo is living human being etc. or not.
Comment by ISU REP Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 9:40 am
This is about more than research.It is about a governor that anytime he does not get his way he signs an executive order.Doesn’t this guy know to be a democracy we need seperation of powers.He is a governor abusing his powers by using his executive powers to make laws.He abuses court decisions like the veteran preference by hiring people part time and then making a full time position out of it.We need to remove this little dictator from office in November.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:17 am
BC,
What do you propose to do with the unimplanted embryos from IVF?
Should they just be thrown out?
Or should we ban IVF altogether?
Brady wants to ban stem cell research for the same reason that he wants our schools to teach religion: The man is against science. That is a tough position to take when we are losing the technology race to India and China.
Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:20 am
Lets get rid of this stem cell research stuff. If people got Alzheimers, spinal paralysis, Parkinson, or any other neurological disease that is the chance you take. Sorry. No sense trying to find a cure. Science has to keep pace with ethics and what ever the current PC climate is. That is, of course, unless it comes to your family then we need this research badly. The fact that science is moving at a lighting pace to understand the causes for these extremely complex diseases is very hard to keep up with and adjust to. Then again it is much better to stay in the 1950s and let India, China, South Africa, and other places to the work.
Comment by zatoichi Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:52 am
Take half a minute to research the subject and you will learn that “embryonic” stem cell research involves discarded embryos from IVF and somatic cell nuclear transfer (taking the nucleus from an adult cell and putting it in an egg). There is no basis for calling SCNT “human life”. It will split, form a blastocyst of about 125 cells, and yield stem cells. Left alone, it would just die - there is no evidence that it could be implanted and actually develop into a human being. You have to be quite an extremist to be offended by SCNT.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:55 am
Polling in Missouri, where stem cell is on the ballot, shows that support is highest among people who claim to know something about the subject and lowest among people who admit to knowing very little.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:56 am
I think the poll would have been more accurate if they would have differentiated between Adult stem cell or Embryonic stem cell research. I read the question and it said “stem cell research” people answering could not of known which one they were saying they were in favor of or may have voted thinking they were voting for Adult stem cell research and now the media is passing it of as an Embryonic stem cell research only poll. I am in favor of Adult stem cell research which works. Embryonic stem cell research has been a big waste of money. The poll is worthless. I am glad we have Senator’s Like Brady who stand up to those that want to waste our limited tax revenue on program’s that don’t work even when it may cost them in the news media. We need that money to spend on our schools and roads.
Anon 10:55 what kind of life is it a cow a bird a flower of course it human life face it.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 12:49 pm
to anon - 12:49. Of course a SCNT cell is “human” and it is “alive.” But is it a “human life” worthy of protection, even though it cannot grow into a human being. If you say yes, then why not protect a sperm cell - it is alive and human. Is masturbation murder? Is plastic surgery, which kills the skin cells removed, murder? Calling a blastocyst “alive” and “human” doesn’t answer any interesting question.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 1:07 pm
Yesterday “science” was snake oil, today it is stem cells. Yesterday “science” was phrenology, today it is stem cells. Yesterday “science” push electric hernia belts for reproductive health, today it is stem cells.
Stem cells are today’s miracle cure. They are cutting edge science. No one in our society would like to be shown as a narrow-minded troglidyte when science is our new messiah! We have been told since birth how science is our salvation, whatever science claims is our salvation for that day.
Its all hogwash, and the arguments created by it are embarrassing. Blagojevich got some cash action and steered the State Trough towards the right supporters, thats all.
What we have is a society dedicated to the proposition that seniors get whatever they want. They don’t want to be bald, phallically limp, hunchbacked, or homely - but they vote! So, when gramps wants fetal tissue, by Gum, he’s gonna get some! This governor knows what side of the Depends he pees in!
Stem cells! Ha! Who knows what next, but you bet folks are going to be clammoring for it, come hell or high water! As long as they don’t have to pay for it!
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 1:51 pm
Why are we even bothering to have elections, when the Governor can assert such sweeping authority with no checks or balances? I thought democracy meant we all get to vote on things like this?
Comment by Whatup Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 6:15 pm
The self-professed “C” student in Constitutional Law should go back to Pepperdine for continuing education. The Illinois Administrative Code, for all its faults, clearly lays the statutory groundwork that state policies need to be codified in administrative rules. Thus, the 2nd Executive Order appears to be a blatent attempt to violate the very laws of the state the wannabe Governor took an oath to uphold. He is either an incompetent Governor or has incompetent people providing him with advice. Either way, it’s time for a change — for the sake of the State.
Comment by Former JCAR staffer Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 9:10 pm
Well, once more into the valley of death rode the gallant 500.
Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Mar 15, 06 @ 10:17 pm