State Representative Phyllis Kahn
365 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4257
For Immediate Release
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Posted: 5/7/2008
NEWS RELEASE
HOUSE PASSES BILL ALLOWING STATE FUNDING FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH
ST. PAUL – Recognizing the significant potential for medical and scientific breakthroughs, the House of Representatives today passed legislation authorizing the University of Minnesota to perform stem cell research. The bill lays the scientific and medical basis for stem cell research and defines what can be studied, including embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL – Minneapolis), the chief author of the bill, said the bill enables Minnesota to join other states on the cutting edge of medical and scientific research.
"Stem cell research offers immense potential to fight and cure pervasive and chronic diseases," said Kahn. "Minnesota has historically been a haven for biomedical and scientific innovation and we should join other states in the effort to realize the curative promise that stem cell research can offer to hundreds of millions of suffering Americans."
Although no state funds are allocated in the legislation, the bill specifies that public funding could be used in the future for stem cell research. Kahn said that public funding is the best way to improve efficiency and transparency of the scientific research. An "Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee" would review all stem-cell research conducted by the University of Minnesota.
"Open scientific inquiry and publicly funded research will be essential to realizing the promise of stem cell research," said Kahn. "Publicly funded stem cell research, conducted under established standards of open scientific exchange, peer review, and public oversight, offers the most efficient and responsible means to produce significant medical breakthroughs."
Kahn said the timing of this legislation is important to Minnesota's economy. Wisconsin, for example, has recently allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for biomedical research, including funding for stem cell research.
"For a long time the biomedical industry has been pillar of Minnesota's strong economy," said Kahn. "It would be unfortunate if Minnesota stays on the sidelines while Wisconsin, Iowa, and other states capitalize on this opportunity."
Kahn recognized the need to balance public policy on stem cell research and medical and ethical considerations. The bill includes the first prohibition in state law on human cloning. Kahn points out that nothing in this bill would allow the destruction of human embryos destined for life. The cells used in this research come from stored embryos, invariably destined for destruction anyway, donated to researchers by fully informed and consenting owners.
"Public policy on stem cell research must properly balance ethical and medical considerations," said Kahn. "This bill is based on an understanding of the science associated with stem cell research and grounded in a thorough consideration of the ethical concerns regarding this research."