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DELAWARE: State Legislature Gears Up For Second Half of Session By Bridin Reynolds Hughes Monday, January 12, 2004 State legislators head back to Dover Tuesday, Jan. 13, to commence the second half of the two year legislative session. All bills introduced or passed by one chamber last year are still in play. A Senate approved bill, SB 55, concerning stem cell research seems likely to create early controversy in the House. A public hearing, scheduled for 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Legislative Hall, will put the bill in the center of attention early in the session. SB 55 has strong local sponsorship including Sen. Robert L. Venables, D-Laurel, Sen. George H. Bunting, D-Bethany Beach, Rep. John C. Atkins, R-Millsboro, and Rep. Benjamin Ewing, R-Bridgeville. However, Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, was one of only three dissenting Senate votes and other local representatives have not finalized their opinion. “Since the bill passed the Senate, I have had letters and emails about the bill, but most are from out of my district,” said Rep Joe Booth, R-Georgetown. That may be explained by efforts by religious organizations, including the Catholic Dioceses of Wilmington, to see the bill defeated. Also known as the Cloning Prohibition and Research Protection Act, sponsors of the bill believe the act places a ban on human cloning while allowing cloning technologies to be used for purposes other than human cloning, particularly for the development of animal or agricultural products. Critics of the bill maintain that it purports to be a ban on human cloning, but instead permits unlimited cloning of human beings through the technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer and would authorize “embryo farming,” the large- scale production of human embryos for the harvesting of their stem cells. “SB55 creates a subclass of individuals who can be sacrificed for scientific research conducted, not for their benefit, but solely for the benefit of other people. Such a practice is an affront to the inviolable character of innocent human life,” said Chris DiPietro, representing the Diocese of Wilmington. Atkins said he hopes the hearing will illuminate the many facets of the issue. “I feel there is a consensus on prohibiting human cloning and the legislation should move forward on that basis alone,” he said. “I am looking forward to listening to the public input; right now I think there may be some misunderstanding surrounding the bill,” said Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D- Rehoboth Beach, who is undecided on the bill. “It is my understanding that right now there are no provisions in our state law governing stem cell research, so this is actually a limiting bill, not an enabling bill. It would set some parameters.” Following the public hearing, any action on the bill will be in the hands of the House Health and Human Development Committee. SNIP SOURCE: Cape Gazette, DE http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/01-04/legislativeupdate010904.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn