NYT: New Limits Are Proposed for Research on Stem Cells (Romney, Mass.)

[DeepModem Mom]

New Limits Are Proposed for Research on Stem Cells
By PAM BELLUCK
Published: May 12, 2005


BOSTON, May 11 - Hoping to make a recently passed bill on stem cell research more restrictive, Gov. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he would ask the legislature to amend the bill by changing the definition of when life begins and by excluding a type of embryonic stem cell research that he opposes.

The governor said in an interview that rather than veto the bill immediately, he would ask the legislature on Thursday to adopt four amendments. The legislature approved the bill overwhelmingly, by votes of 119 to 38 in the House and 34 to 2 in the Senate, enough to override a veto.

One of Mr. Romney's amendments, seeking to ban the creation of embryos specifically for research, is an argument that he has been making for months. The legislature has rejected that proposal, siding with scientists who say such a method is critical to finding cures and treatments for diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's. Mr. Romney acknowledged on Wednesday that the legislature was unlikely to accept that proposal.

The other three are new proposals. One would undo the legislature's definition of when life begins. In the bill, the legislature defines life as starting when an embryo is implanted in the uterus. That definition lends support to scientists' arguments that by creating embryos for research they are not experimenting on an actual human life because an embryo is merely a ball of cells, less than 14 days old, and could not become a human life unless implanted in a womb.

Mr. Romney, a Republican, wants the largely Democratic legislature to adopt a definition that says that life begins at fertilization....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/national/12stem.html

[jobycom]

1. Students shake their heads in amazement nowadays when they are told

about Galileo being threatened by the Church...

Modern America... the Middle Ages... Looking for the difference... Oh yeah, cars.

[chicagojoe]

2. Why are the simpletons so afraid of progress?

Of course, people DO mock and resist that which they are INCAPABLE of understanding.

[rodeodance]

3. uu..... he seems not to care that the state will be out lots of $$ either.

[Zhade]

4. Why is it rarely mentioned that stem cells can come from other sources?

Is it just because it's such a handy wedge issue that the media fails its duty almost every time this subject comes up?

[Danmel]

5. How did Massachusetts elect this guy?

I mean really!

[rockedthevoteinMA]

6. Everyone I know in this state has absolutely no clue how he was

elected. :shrug: Can't stand the man myself. He is a joke, and he knows it.

I heard someone the other day say, "maybe all the politicians are against stem cell research because then the pharmaceutical companies profits would be cut..." Made sense to me.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. That is a very good question --

why is this man governor of Massachusetts???