Petitions oppose stem cell expansion

LINCOLN – Opponents of human embryonic stem cell research said they planned to deliver today nearly 6,900 petition signatures opposing expansion of the research.

Chip Maxwell, executive director of the Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research, said opponents also would deliver to the Board of Regents a letter signed by 255 Nebraska doctors, researchers and medical professionals urging the regents to vote against expanded research.

During its Friday meeting, the Board of Regents is to consider a resolution that would limit the research to pre-existing lines of stem cells that had been approved under the administration of former President George Bush.

Supporters of the research have said that would squelch most new research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

"This is not unexpected, but to put this in perspective, the petition signature represents one half of 1 percent of the voting age population in Nebraska. There has never been any question that there are many people in the state of Nebraska who have strong feelings on this issue," said Victoria Kohout, executive director of the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures.

Nebraska abortion opponents have been urging the regents to act on the issue since President Obama’s administration adopted new guidelines to allow additional stem cell lines to be approved for federally funded research. Since 2001, NU policy has been to follow federal research guidelines in its embryonic stem cell research.

« Metro/Region

Share