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The Desert Sun State Senate nixes Battin bill on human cloning ‘Research cloning is wrong and should be stopped,’ La Quinta Republican says By Jake Henshaw Desert Sun Sacramento Bureau April 24th, 2003 SACRAMENTO -- State senators Wednesday again rejected a broad ban on human cloning. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee defeated a bill by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, that would have banned cloning both to create humans and for research using cloned human embryos. His Senate Bill 133 also would have established criminal penalties with fines of up to $1 million for violations by organizations and up to $250,000 by individuals. Battin was active in writing the current state ban on human cloning, which was the first in the nation, and no one suggested ending that ban Wednesday. The sometimes emotional debate focused on non-reproductive human cloning, which is closely linked to therapies derived from stem cell research. Scientists have said this research may lead to possible treatment or even cures for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury and diabetes. Battin and his supporters argued that this research was immoral and unnecessary because of alternative sources of research material like adult stem cells. "Research cloning is wrong and should be stopped before society starts to slide down that slippery slope," Battin said. But some legislators and members of groups afflicted by diseases that may be aided by the research strongly opposed the bill. "My wife had multiple sclerosis, and I think I owe it to her and the many other people who suffer from a variety of diseases that could benefit from this to … oppose this bill," said Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, "even though I believe it is well-intended, but from my point of view, misguided." Jake Henshaw is the Sacramento Bureau correspondent for The Desert Sun. He can be reached at (916) 446-1036 or via e-mail at [log in to unmask] SOURCE: The Desert Sun http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories/local/1051148352.shtml * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn