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The Daily Nebraskan Bills introduced to limit research, cloning By LAURA SCHREIER February 20, 2003 Legislation opposing fetal tissue and stem-cell research, as well as cloning, will be on the Judiciary Committee's table today. Sen. Dwite Pedersen of Elkhorn, who will be introducing his bill opposing fetal tissue research, said at the moment his main goal was to continue the research debate. "I just want a public hearing," he said. Pedersen has proposed such legislation in the past, and said the state's budget issues probably would contribute to the bill's expected stagnation this session. "At this point, I don't think we'll go too far," he said. Sen. Mike Foley of Lincoln will introduce a bill that, if passed, would ban embryonic stem-cell research, thus outlawing the creation of a fertilized cell for the express purpose of performing destructive research on it. Foley said the bill wouldn't disrupt any research currently ongoing in Nebraska. It would, however, attempt to set some guidelines in the research debate. "If not here, then where is the ethical boundary going to be?" he said. Foley also said with the number of other bills on the agenda, this particular legislation probably wouldn't advance too far. Sen. Adrian Smith of Gering introduced a bill to ban cloning. The bill on cloning has fewer obstacles than the bills involving fetal tissue and embryonic stem-cell research, he said. Smith was more confident of his bill's progression through the legislative process. "I sense some momentum," he said. Anti-abortion advocates, besides attending the hearing, will be talking to their representatives and trying to promote support for the legislation. Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said the organization had invited anti-abortion advocates to come learn about the legislation and give them a chance to talk to their representatives. "Whoever shows up is going to be educated," she said, "and they, in turn, will educate others." SOURCE: The Daily Nebraskan http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/02/20/3e544bb2e bcaa * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn