Stem Cell Research could be killed in Ohio

[dannynyc]

The story is in the 5/31/05 - 6/5/05 issue of Crain's Cleveland. I've not seen anything posted about this subject.

An $18 million grant has been made by Ohio's Third Frontier Fund to establish the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine in Ohio. The Center is a partnership of Case Western Reserve Univ, the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio State University and Athersys. This center has the potential to bring research dollars, talent and start up companies to Ohio, a state that has many economic problems (without even thinking about Coingate . . .)

The article states an amendment was slipped into the fiscal 2006-08 state budget bill, House Bill 66, to ban the use of Third Frontier funds an "any activity" related to embryonic stem sell research. The amendment is to House Bill 66. There were no hearings or debate on this amendment. Because the center was funded by Third Frontier funds, this center would not be able to do any stem cell research. This law would be more restrictive than the federal law.

Does anyone have any more information about this amendment? Obviously it's been done quietly.

Here's a link to the article - you may need a subscription. If you want the article, let me know and I'll e-mail you the article.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050530/SUB/505300323&SearchID=732099 6250