TALLAHASSEE – The state would pay for stem cell research, including studies using cells harvested from embryos, under a bill filed Tuesday in the Florida Legislature that may have new hope because of backing from Gov. Charlie Crist.
The proposal has failed before, but its chances may be enhanced this year with the support of Crist, who said Tuesday the issue is one of his budget priorities.
"I think it’s important, and we talked about it during the campaign, because of the promise it has for maybe the curing … of many diseases and maladies that exist for a lot of our citizens," Crist said.
The bill (HB 555), filed by Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston, would require the state spend at least $20 million a year for 10 years on grants to researchers doing studies using several different types of stem cells, including adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and embryonic stem cells, the most controversial type.
Researchers say embryonic stem cells hold the promise of medical breakthroughs because they have the ability to become any tissue in the body. But the research involves the destruction of frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization, which stirs passionate debates over when life begins. Opponents say embryos are human beings, and it’s wrong to destroy them. Supporters counter that embryos that go unused by in vitro fertilization clinics are discarded anyway.
The idea was proposed last year in the Legislature, but failed to get a floor vote. Gov. Jeb Bush had opposed the bill, as had many Republicans.
Now the idea is personally supported by Senate President Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, but he insists he won’t push his chamber in any direction over the issue and expressed concern Tuesday that the "political" arguments over embryonic research threatened stem cell research in general.
House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Coral Gables, opposes the idea. But he, too, has said he won’t stand in the way of proposals that gain traction just because he opposes them.
Well I am not exactly surprised. I had about zero hopes that Crist would be as pro-life as his campaign touted him. I certainly miss Jeb Bush already.
5 comments
Maybe Jeb will wait a few years (like maybe after Hillary is done being president *gag*) and run for president.
I missed him when we moved to Virginia. He’s a good guy. My father says it’s easy to tell when they are Fourth Degree Knights. 🙂
“which stirs passionate debates over when life begins.”
No, those debates have already happened. Now their logical conclusions are being ignored.
“Opponents say embryos are human beings, and it’s wrong to destroy them. Supporters counter that embryos that go unused by in vitro fertilization clinics are discarded anyway.”
A better second sentence would be “Supporters throw out a red herring by excusing genocide with the irrelevant fact that these babies are going to be killed anyway. They in no way ‘counter’ the argument that embryos are human beings.”
“Researches say embryonic stem cells hold the promise of medical breakthroughs because they have the ability to become any tissue in the body.” …as do all other stem cells. That’s why they’d called stem cells. The difference is that embryonic stem cells divide and multiply faster than adult stem cells. Thus its not that they can do more things than adult stem cells can do, its the fact that they can produce the results faster. Thus perhaps the healing would be faster so long as science could somehow tell the cells to leave their embryonic state at the appropriate time and slow down rather than becoming cancerious growths.
But of course, they don’t tell you that stuff because that hurts the whole abortion issue. If people knew that the cells of embryos divide faster than in adults and that therefore it makes drastic jumps in development not seen in our adult human development or even childhood development, even if they don’t want to believe there is a soul, that gives them a really short window to argue that abortion is ok.
Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Tag:No TagsThere is much hope, and desperation too, on embryonic stem cell research in the news lately. The House of Representatives have passed a Bill to increase taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research (that will be vetoed by President Bush …
Maybe Jeb will wait a few years (like maybe after Hillary is done being president *gag*) and run for president.
And maybe as Jeb is finished out his second term in 2024, he’ll have his son ditch his current wife and marry Chelsea Clinton and thus consolidate the two ruling dynasties in time for Chelsea’s run. It would also be a fine celebration of 36 (soon to be 40) years of Bush-Clinton hegemony.