from Don Reeds's daily article Tuesday Nov 6::

So, what can we do, you and I, as stem cell advocates?

1. Work with state (and later national) struggles to support full stem cell
research.

As long as the current administration rules the White House, we can expect
no help there.
And even with a new President, (and the passage of the Stem Cell Research
Enhancement Act) there is no guarantee the NIH will get the enormous
infusion of funding it needs.
We must do what we can where we are, and help each other.

Suppose your state wants to develop a stem cell law?
There are two kinds: one with money (a funding bill), and one without. The
second, which I call a "permissions bill", simply establishes the legality
of embryonic and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) research.

 "Permission" bills are crucial.  For example, the monumental battle for
Missouri's Amendment 2: a permissions bill, allowing Missourians access to
all stem cell research and cures allowed by America's federal government.
Michigan also faces a permissions bill fight, to change some of the most
repressive anti-research laws in existence on the planet-real Dark Ages
stuff, five years in jail for making new stem cell lines.

Funding laws provide actual dollars to the research we support. If New
Jersey joins  the list of states which fund research, such as New York,
Maryland and Connecticut, stem cell scientists will have places to work on
the East Coast, and jobs to keep their families housed and fed and clothed,
while they work on the research which gives us hope.

In California, we did both: the permissions bills (Senator Deborah Ortiz's
pioneering three laws, the first in the nation), and then the funding bills,
a tiny one first (the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act) and then
the pride of a nation, Proposition 71, the California Stem Cells for
Research and Cures Act-$3 billion dollars of research.

How can we work together?

First, communicate. Make as many friends for your bill as you can. For one
thing, write to me, care of this column. If I can, I will help. I might know
someone in your state or a neighboring one who feels as you do, and wants to
work.

We must share knowledge. Tell me what you want to accomplish, what you face
in opposition and support,  and let me share what worked in ours.
For example, as you draft a new law, consider the text of Proposition 71.
There are things we learned in the California effort, that might be of
value. There are also one or two things we might do differently today, and
those mistakes you might wish to profit from.
But only you know what your state needs and wants.  Free advice from
outsiders like me is like the wind-if it fills your sails, let it help-if
not, ignore it, like the empty air.
Important: if a state bill disqualifies embryonic or SCNT research, stem
cell advocates across the nation will not only refuse to help that bill, but
should actively oppose it.

2. Advocates oppose anti-research laws-and anti-research politicians!

In time, no political party will oppose full stem cell research.  As cures
begin to come, those few political dinosaurs who continue to block the
research will be voted out.   But for today, unfortunately, the
anti-research religionists control the Republican party. You have only to
look at the votes to verify this. If you put 100 Democratic leaders in a
room, and take a vote on full stem cell research, at least 90 will vote yes.
But if you have 100 Republican leaders in a room, and give them the same
vote,  it will be the other way around-90 will oppose the research America
supports. This must change.

The current GOP leadership has lost touch with America. Some can learn;
others will have to be un-elected.
Which does not mean there are no Democrat obstructionists!

For instance, Daniel Lipinski (D-IL). Working with the Bush Administration,
Mr. Lipinksi authored poison pill legislation called the "Patients First
 Act"..  If enacted, his law would prioritize NIH funding grants in a sneaky
way, putting embryonic stem cell research at the very bottom of the pile,
essentially blocking it from funding.  Fortunately, Lipinski's bill was
recognized as dangerous garbage, and has not moved forward.    That is why
stem cell advocates support Illinois' MARK PERA for Congress, as the
pro-stem cell candidate who is challenging the incumbent Lipinski. That's
Democrat against alleged Democrat-but what about a contest between a
pro-stem Republican and an anti-research Democrat?

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) co-authored a bill which would have sent stem
cell scientists to jail, and which also would have fined them one million
dollars.

So would I as a stem cell advocate support a Republican running against a
Democrat, if the Democrat was like Mary Landrieu, and the Republican was
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) who supports full stem cell research?
In a heartbeat.

3. Advocates oppose voter-manipulation.

Trickery must not prevail.

For example, in California right now, there is a Republican effort to change
the way Presidential votes are counted. If that bill passes, it would give
the next Presidential election to the Republicans.

Here's how it would work. Instead of the current situation, winner-take-all,
so the electoral votes go to whomever wins the state, the votes would be
split up by districts, so maybe half would go to the Democrat Presidential
candidate, and half to the Republican.
At first, it sounds fair. except California would be the only state changed.
It would be like a  baseball game, with different strike out rules for each
side. Instead of three strikes and gone, Team A batters get five strikes
before they're out; Team B gets only one strike. If the election rules are
to  be changed, it must be the same for every state.

Or maybe, since the idea was made up by the Republicans, they should try it
on one of the states they currently control, like Texas, for example. Texas
has winner take all, same as California.  If  51% of the districts vote for
a Republican candidate, all of Texas's electoral votes go to the
Republicans. That's winner take all.  If they want to change that, and give
half to the Democrats, I would not object.

Strangely, though, I do not hear any Republicans suggesting that; they only
want to do it to California.

Well, it is one thirty in the morning. Tomorrow has become today.
I hope it is the dawning of a new day in New Jersey stem cell research.
But whatever happens, win or lose, the stem cell battle will continue.
As Christopher Reeve always said, we will "go forward".

And we will prevail.

Don Reed
www.stemcellbattles.com

Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
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