by Cal Skinner
Two instances in one week where citizen pressure made a difference in public policy formation! First the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax and now a stem-cell research vote.
Wow!
(Sorry for the college verbiage, but I have taught state and local government at Rockford and Harper Colleges in years past and sometimes lapse into "classroom speak.")
If you even wonder whether McHenry County’s Republican State Senator Pam Althoff will listen to her constituents, take a look at what is under the Senator’s picture on the front page of today’s Northwest Herald.
It says, “Program is too controversial.”
The fight against the bill, which would legitimize the illegitimate Executive Order of Governor Rod Blagojevich to spend $10 million on stem cell research, including on human embryos, was hotly opposed by pro-life groups.
McHenry County’s Right-to-Life lady, Irene Napier, was sending out emails encouraging people to contact Senator Althoff.
Apparently enough did to convince Senator Althoff not to offend a large proportion of her Republican primary voters. Althoff is up for re-election next year.
Althoff told the NW Herald reporter Brenda Schory that she opposed the bill for two reasons:
- it would cost money the state did not have and
- the state should not be spending money on a program that so many of her constituents oppose
Althoff told the NW Herald that she supported Senate Bill 19 sponsored by State Sen. William Haine (conservative Democrat from the Metro East area), which would establish a statewide network of umbilical cord banks and supports umbilical cord stem-cell research.
“To date, there are absolutely no successful studies that have shown embryonic stem-cell research will cure or help any of the diseases frequently referenced—like juvenile diabetes or epilepsy,” Althoff said.
SB 4, the bill Althoff voted against, passed the senate 35-23, with 30 needed for passage.
