FROM: The New York Times
January 17, 2005 Monday
Section B; Column 4; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 3
HEADLINE: Fearing New York May Fall Behind, Senator Proposes Stem Cell
Institute
BYLINE: By MIKE McINTIRE
Hoping to catch up to other states that are aggressively supporting
research
on embryonic stem cells, Democratic leaders in the New York Senate
announced
legislation yesterday that would commit $1 billion to a similar effort in
New
York.
The proposal, offered by David A. Paterson, the Senate Democratic
leader,
calls for the creation of a New York stem cell institute to regulate
research in
the field, as well as make loans and grants to organizations and
companies. It
is similar to an initiative under way in California, which approved a $3
billion
stem cell research fund last year, and to a $380 million proposal
announced last
week by New Jersey's acting governor, Richard J. Codey.
Mr. Paterson drew attention to California at a news conference at
City Hall,
saying its program, which is poised to begin making its first research
grants
within months, represents ''our chief competition.''
''Of course, New York still has an advantage because of our vast
intellectual power and network of public and private universities,
research
centers and medical facilities,'' he said. ''But that gap is closing.''
Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, a Manhattan Democrat, bluntly warned
that New
York stood to suffer economically if it did not act soon to support
private-sector research initiatives. ''If the state of New York doesn't
recognize the competitive need, our research scientists are all going to
change
their tune from 'I love New York' to 'California, Here I Come' in a very
short
period of time,'' he said. ''We have a very narrow window to meet the
challenge.
''
Mr. Paterson made his announcement two days before Gov. George E.
Pataki is
to present his 2006 state budget proposal. The senator said that he hoped
the
governor, a Republican, would eventually include the money in the budget
for the
next fiscal year, which begins in April, but that the administration had
not yet
expressed an opinion on the matter.
Jennifer Meicht, a spokeswoman for the governor, said the
administration
would not comment on Mr. Paterson's proposal until it had reviewed it. '
'Generally, the governor has been supportive of the concept of stem cell
research,'' she said.
Under Mr. Paterson's proposal, the state would borrow up to $1
billion over
10 years. Unless the governor includes funding for it in his budget, the
project
stands little chance of becoming reality. The initiative would require
approval
by voters in a referendum, which Mr. Paterson said he favored putting on
the
ballot later this year.
With the state facing a projected $6 billion deficit next year,
growing to
$7.7 billion the year after that, it is unclear how much support there
will be
in Albany for adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the debt burden.
Senator
Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who has proposed a law to create
ethical
guidelines for stem cell research, said that the roughly $100 million a
year to
finance the institute was relatively small in the context of the state's
$100
billion budget.
Ms. Krueger said that while it was important that New York move
quickly to
provide financial incentives to the growing industry, it was imperative
that the
state not cede too much control to the private sector.
''I personally think that California, having moved its money to the
table,
made some mistakes in how they went forward,'' she said. ''To be honest,
they
didn't build in enough government oversight and control, and they may
have in
fact given too much of the decision-making to the biotech industries.''
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