Michigan Board Approves Stem Cell Measure For November Ballot

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 26 Aug 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Thursday certified a ballot measure that would loosen Michigan's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, the Detroit Free Press reports (Bell, Detroit Free Press, 8/22). The board found the group Cure Michigan submitted nearly 500,000 signatures backing the proposal, which were 100,000 more than the required minimum to place a proposal on the ballot in the state (Heinlein, Detroit News, 8/22).

The official wording of the ballot measure says that it will expand use of human embryos for any research permitted under federal law subject to the following limits: the embryos are created for fertility treatment purposes; are not suitable for implantation or are in excess of clinical needs; would be discarded unless used for research; were donated by the person seeking fertility treatment; provide that stem cells cannot be taken from human embryos more than 14 days after cell division begins; prohibit any person from selling or purchasing human embryos for stem cell research; and prohibit state and local laws that prevent, restrict or discourage stem cell research, future therapies and cures (AP/MLive.com, 8/21).

Joe Schwarz -- a physician and former Republican member of Congress who heads the Cure Michigan campaign -- said, "What we are talking about here is providing cures for people, providing therapies for people. In this century, a majority of therapies and cures will be from genetic therapy and cellular therapy and not from popping chemical compounds, which is what we've done all our lives. So this is a movement forward" (Martin, AP/MLive.com, 8/21). Critics of the proposal have opposed it on religious and moral grounds. David Doyle, a spokesperson for Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation, said the initiative would undo a 1978 law banning the destruction of human embryos and leave in question a 1998 law prohibiting human cloning. "It goes too far, has too many loopholes and would allow unlimited experimentation on human embryos," Doyle said (Detroit News, 8/22).

According to the Detroit News, proponents and opponents of the measure are expected to spend a combined $20 million or more on their campaigns (Detroit News, 8/22).

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