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Local Legislators Make A Difference ... Stem Cell Research Passes By Slim Margin By: Al Sullivan , Reporter senior staff writer 12/21/2003 GETTING IT PASSED - Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto dispelled misinformation when he asked for support of the stem cell research bill. Living up to his promise to reintroduce legislation to allow for stem cell research, State Assembly Speaker Albio Sires came up a huge winner as the assembly narrowly passed the bill that is expected to be signed into law shortly by Gov. Jim McGreevey. The Assembly passed the bill on Monday, Dec.15 by a 41 to 31 majority and will make New Jersey only the second state in the United States to allow embryonic stem cell research in an attempt to find treatments for Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and other illnesses. Hudson County's legislators led the fight to bring about the passage of the law, after Sires reintroduced the bill during the last session of the current Assembly. When interviewed in November, Sires said the bill faced significant opposition from anti-abortion groups and well as a solid block of Roman Catholic leaders, but he hoped to get the measure through the assembly anyway. One of the key votes came from local Assemblyman Rafael Fraguela of Union City. Fraguela had turned Republican earlier this year after the Hudson County Democratic Organization opted against putting him up for re-election as a Democrat. In voting with the Democrats for the bill last week, Fraguela was promptly removed from the Republican Caucus. Sides of the argument Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto, a strong proponent of New Jersey's pharmaceutical industry and the principal co- sponsor of the bill, made an impassioned plea on the floor of the Assembly for the passage of the bill. Another strong supporter was Assemblywoman Joan Quigley. "Assemblyman Fraguela promised Cohen early on to support this bill," Impreveduto said. "He stuck to it." Assemblyman Neil M. Cohen, a Democrat from Union County, was the other co-sponsor of the bill. Impreveduto said the members of the religious Right conducted a misinformation campaign that claimed the bill would permit cloning. "This bill specifically outlawed cloning," Impreveduto said. "And it established criminal penalties from 10 to 20 years in jail for anyone who tries." One opponent of the bill, Impreveduto said, claimed the bill would permit "post-birth killing of embryos." "Post-birth means that the baby is born," Impreveduto said. "In that case, anyone conducting such a thing would be charged with murder." In yet another attempt to build opposition, opponents claimed the bill would permit baby farms from which human parts would be extracted. What are stem cells? Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. Because they are formed at the earliest part of the human development process, they hold the key to the regeneration of heart cells, blood- making cells in the bones, and oxygen carrying cells. While stem cells do not operate in this early stage in those capacities, they somehow choose to become one of these types of working cells. Scientists are hoping that through intense study, they can learn how these cells make that transformation and they can later breed cells to repair damaged cells. "Human stem cell research offers immense promise for developing new medical therapies for these debilitating diseases, and a critical means to explore fundamental questions of biology," Cohen's bill says. "Stem cell research could lead to unprecedented treatments and potential cures for Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and other diseases. The United States has historically been a haven for open scientific inquiry and technological innovation; and this environment, combined with the commitment of public and private resources, has made this nation the pre-eminent world leader in biomedicine and biotechnology." "I can understand if people have a legitimate moral concern," Impreveduto said. "Then those people had to vote against it. But I want people to know the facts and not base their vote on misinformation." Impreveduto said this bill does not supply a cure for the various diseases, but it a tool that researchers can use to possibly find a cure. "This may hold the key," he said, " and I asked the assembly to give me the key and let me try in the door. We will never find a cure if we never get the key." More on the bill Medical experts' estimates show that 128 million Americans suffer from the crippling economic and psychological burdens of chronic degenerative and acute diseases. The legislation highlights the costs of treating them. The bill goes on to say that "Stem cell research, including the use of embryonic stem cells for medical research, raises significant ethical and public policy concerns, and, although not unique, the ethical and policy concerns associated with stem cell research must be carefully considered; and the public policy of this state governing stem cell research must: balance ethical and medical considerations, based upon both an understanding of the science associated with stem cell research and a thorough consideration of the ethical concerns regarding this research." Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-32nd Dist.) said although the hospital network for whom she works full-time does not favor this research, she does. She intends to vote in favor of the bill. "I'm coming out very strongly for this bill," she said, noting that the bill does not force anyone to donate embryos. "Those people undergoing fertility treatments have an option to donate the excess embryos to science. The research done could eventually lead to the regeneration of diseased kidneys and in the treatment of other diseases." Quigley pointed out that these additional embryos would otherwise be destroyed or frozen for possible future use. Paul J. Byrne, a local political consultant and someone whose eyesight has suffered due to diabetes, testified last year on behalf of the bill. He said in reaction to the passage, "We are the most Catholic county in the state, and all of our state legislators are Catholic. Yet, they stood up for the people and voted for this bill. That was not an easy thing for them to do. I am personally delighted that this bill passed. It is important legislation, and it is not only the right thing to do, it is absolutely necessary." Hoboken Councilman Tony Soares, who suffers from Achondroplasia, also had been a vocal supporter of the bill. SOURCE: The Hudson Reporter / Secaucus Reporter, NJ http://tinyurl.com/3evjt * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn