Bioethics on the Ballot

Texas approved Billions in bond debt, some $3 Billion of which will fund the new Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. There is already private funding of embryonic and fetal tissue research in Texas already.(See this report on the Brown Institute in Houston.) While Texas is a leader in ethical stem cell research and public cord blood banking, there are no limits on State tax funds for research that would limit any sort of destructive research on unborn humans, including cloning, embryonic stem cell research and fetal research. As long as none of the subjects are able to hire a lawyer, it's open season in Texas. The prolife community in Texas is hoping - and has already begun the fight - to ensure that the oversight board will be able to control the use of the money for ethical means.

New Jersey, on the other hand, rejected funding for embryonic stem cells! Hooray!