Monday, March 16, 2009
News Soapbox: Georgia stem-cell bill sends wrong message
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Mon, Mar 16, 2009 at 9:02 PM
Last week, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 169, legislation that would outlaw embryonic stem-cell research in the state. In the op-ed below, state Sens. Doug Stoner, D-Smyrna, and Tim Golden, D-Valdosta, call the bill a knee-jerk reaction to President Barack Obama's initiatives and say it will hurt Georgia's potential to become a hub for scientific research.
More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Another 1.5 million are Parkinson’s disease patients. Hundreds of thousands more are living with the results of spinal cord injury or disease, with that number growing by 30 newly injured people each day.
But their problems, and those of their loved ones, are not the concern of the Republican members of the Georgia State Senate – not a single one. With haste rarely seen at the State Capitol, Senate Republicans rushed last week to introduce and put their stamp of approval on legislation designed to ensure that medical research that could lead to effective treatments or even a cure for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, spinal injuries and many other diseases will not take place in the state of Georgia.
The legislation, SB 169, would outlaw embryonic stem cell research in our state. SB 169 passed the Senate in a strict party-line vote, despite testimony in opposition from the medical, scientific and academic communities.
Without a doubt, this legislation is a knee-jerk reaction to President Barack Obama’s lifting of the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research a few days earlier. Also without a doubt, the proposal was aimed at appeasing a powerful special interest group whose support is considered vital to Republican electoral success.
The bill was opposed by the University System of Georgia and some of its leading researchers. While the research will thankfully go on in other states, this is the wrong message for Georgia to be sending to sufferers of these diseases and their families, who are holding out hope for effective treatments and potential cures.
Turning their backs on all Georgians who support the lifesaving possibilities offered by stem cell research, Senate Republicans sided with a vocal minority who curiously fail to consider curing deadly diseases as “pro-life.” Whether or not they will admit falling victim to political pressure in voting to criminalize stem cell research, they have unfortunately cast Georgia as a backward state on this important issue.
Charles Craig, president of Georgia Bio, a non-profit group that promotes Georgia’s life science industry, was quoted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying this legislation “tells the rest of the world that Georgia is anti-technology” – not exactly a sales tool for recruiting bio-medical companies to our state.
If SB 169 actually becomes law, one of the most tragic ironies is that Georgia is one of the states possessing the brainpower and the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of this research into the treatment and ultimate eradication of these deadly diseases.
Instead, by unanimously choosing partisan politics over lifesaving science, Senate Republicans have taken the first step toward making Georgia a joke in the science and medical communities as well as with bio-medical companies who might be considering locating their businesses in Georgia.
But the Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal injury patients, their families and others like them hoping for a cure from stem cell research aren’t laughing.
Sen. Tim Golden is Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and represents the 8th District in the State Senate. Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) represents the 6th District.
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
That's OK, we'll just stay the backwoods, bible thumpers that we are and another great state in this nation can allow it's scientists to do the research and find the solution. Until then we'll keep wishing we could buy a sixer on Sunday on the way home from church.
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This is appalling. Georgia has higher than the national average unemployment-we should be doing anything and everything to encourage all kinds of companies, jobs and research to come here. What is this huge thing with stem cells to the pro-lifers? I really get confused, especially because stem cells come from more places than just embryos... Why is this state so backwards? grrrr
Pro-lifers are ok with adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells have actually produced resutls,, embryonic cells not so much.
Maybe if we tell the bible thumping conservative GA state reps that stem cells can be used to cure homosexuality, gambling addiction, and alcoholism, they just might agree to let Georgia scientists do some research with them. If nothing else it will throw them into some serious cognitive dissonance.
James, I like your approach! Facts and common sense, saving peoples jobs and improving their lives is not enough for these right-wing religious nutjobs...we have to put it into the only things they care about and act on...the three Gs...Guns, God and Gays. How is it that people think things are going so well and continue to vote for these narrow-minded, no plan for the future crazies?
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