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MISSOURI INITIATIVE | Blunt makes concessions Biotech plans scaled back Yielding to foes of stem-cell research, the governor scraps many life sciences projects. By KIT WAGAR The Star's Jefferson City correspondent JEFFERSON CITY | Capitulating to critics of stem-cell research, Gov. Matt Blunt revamped his biotech initiative Thursday, moving away from building university research labs toward less controversial classroom space. The plan would dramatically reduce the $94 million in projects previously planned for the University of Missouri-Columbia. It would increase funding for projects at the University of Missouri's Rolla and St. Louis campuses, two regional universities and community colleges throughout the state. The plan would reduce the emphasis on life sciences research and eliminate projects to nurture biotech businesses in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia. In all, $113 million worth of life sciences research projects would be scrapped. Administrators and lawmakers admitted that the changes were a concession to opponents of stem-cell research, who had threatened to derail the entire construction plan if funds were used for buildings where such cutting-edge research could be conducted. The two projects at the University of Missouri-Kansas City would still be worth about $15 million but would be altered to eliminate a business incubator and research facilities at the Health Sciences Center. Instead, the projects would be replaced by the Pharmacy and Nursing building on Hospital Hill. The new project would have laboratories for serving patients rather than research labs, said Sen. Gary Nodler, the Joplin Republican who is sponsoring the governor's plan. The original UMKC projects were important to Kansas City business leaders because they were intended to house companies that would create commercial products based on research being conducted at UMKC, the University of Kansas Medical Center and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. "People may not be happy about it, but it's an accommodation to the political reality in this building," Nodler said. "Legislators are not interested in getting embroiled in a controversy (over stem-cell research) that is not appropriate to this proposal." The revised plan, a combination of SB 389 and HB 16, is expected to be taken up in the Senate next week. Greg Steinhoff, the state's economic development director, acknowledged that the new plan would have far less economic punch than the governor's original proposal. But he said the plan would still be a tremendous boost to higher education, which he called "the tip of the spear to deliver economic growth" in Missouri. The overall plan would still spend $350 million but would spread the money throughout the state. Columbia bore the brunt of the proposed changes, losing about $56 million in construction projects compared with the earlier plan. Sen. Chuck Graham, a Columbia Democrat, said the changes undermined Blunt's stated intent of making Missouri a center of life sciences research. Graham said he supported Blunt's original list of projects because they met that goal. Blunt already risked his political future by defying Missouri Right to Life and supporting Amendment 2, last year's ballot proposal that protects all forms of stem-cell research in Missouri, Graham said. It makes no sense now to cave in to Right to Life's demands, he said. "It was a bloody hill the governor took by going through Missouri Right to Life to get Amendment 2 passed," Graham said. "He planted that flag and said, 'We're a pro-research state.' When you do that, it's like taking Iwo Jima. You go on to Tokyo." The change in projects is the latest major shift in Blunt's 14-month effort to get the legislature to buy into his plan. The original plan proposed selling off the state's student loan agency, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, for an estimated $425 million. The money was to be used to finance a life sciences construction boom at state universities and to boost funding for college scholarships. The plan went through various changes and was downsized to $350 million over six years. The new plan would boost funding for community colleges from $18 million to $30 million. It would add $13 million for science classrooms, labs and a business recruitment center at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau would get a $4.5 million center to recruit environmental companies. Southeast would also get $2.6 million to set up an autism research and treatment center. Nodler praised the significant boost in funds that would go to community colleges, whose funding is less controversial because they do not conduct the advanced research that four-year colleges undertake. Such funding also provides an inducement to more senators to support the plan, he said. "A lot more legislators are affected by community college districts than by four-year institutions," Nodler said. "In part, that's a political calculation. But in part it is recognition that community colleges are an important part of our educational system." Blunt called the new plan a strong list of projects that would address many of his priorities and provide a big boost to higher education. But if the governor hoped to mollify Missouri Right to Life, it didn't work. Pam Fichter, the group's president, said there was no way her organization could support the proposal. As long as Amendment 2 is in the constitution, Fichter said, Missouri Right to Life will oppose any state funding for science buildings. "We're just responding to the reality of what the Missouri Constitution does after passage of Amendment 2," Fichter said. "They can say now that it's going to classrooms. But then they can change that, and no one can stop them because that would be discouraging this research that destroys human life." Graham predicted that reaction and said that was the reason Blunt should push ahead with the earlier plan. "Missouri Right to Life and the Catholic Conference are going to oppose anything, so you might as well go back to the list that moves the state ahead," Graham said. "Dorms and classrooms are nice, but they are not what we need to drive economic development in this state. If this is nothing but a watered down capital improvement bill, I'm not interested." @ For a complete list of the projects, go to KansasCity.com. @ For more details on the plan, go to KansasCity.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn