by Fran Eaton
Feeling invigorated with larger voting muscle in the Democratic Senate caucus, the Senate Human Services committee effortlessly pushed through Sen. Jeff Schoenberg's (D-Chicago) embryo experimentation bill Wednesday with an 8 to 3 vote. One Republican, Sen. Christine Radogno, sided with the Democrats.
SB 4 is Schoenberg's third attempt to push through embryonic stem cell research. Previously the bill was blocked after passing committee when Downstate conservative Democrats banded with pro-life Republicans. With the loss last November of at least five senators opposed to using embryos for research, Schoenberg is confident the proposal will make it to the Governor's desk this session.
Governor Blagojevich circumvented the Illinois General Assembly in 2005 when, by executive order, he established the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute with a $15 million state fund grant. Schoenberg said today SB 4 will "formalize" the governor's plan and establish ongoing funding for the project.
At Wednesday's hearing, Northwestern University President Dr. Henry Bienan told the committee Illinois would be unable to attract key researchers without a state-funded research structure in place.
Schoenberg told the committee state funds were needed to leverage private funds for research. He said his legislation required the money go directly to research, sidestepping criticism states like California and New Jersey were facing for stem cell research dollars actually being used more to build facilities, rather than for research itself.
Radogno asked why Schoenberg's bill lowered the penalty for human cloning from a felony to a Class A misdemeanor. He said it was to agree with State Rep Tom Cross' House legislation language. After assurance the cloningpenalty would be revisited, Radogno agreed to support the legislation.
The most intense questioning of the hearing came when State Sen Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) asked Schoenberg how many cures embryonic experimentation has thus far produced. The Chicago Democrat deferred to his witnesses, who could offer no specific example. Dr. Steve Evans, a researcher from the U of I, said the only known cure produced with stem cells thus far is the use of bone marrow transplants on cancer victims. Embryos are not used in bone marrow therapy.
Democrat senators Raoul, Lightford, Hunter, Delgado, Martinez, Garrett, Schoenberg, and Republican Christine Radogno supported SB 4, while Republican Senators Carol Pankau, Bill Brady and Righter opposed it.
House Minority Leader Tom Cross' (R-Plainfield) similar legislation is expected to be heard in the House Human Services Committee Thursday morning.
