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Cloning bill foes, backers weigh in 03/08/2007 LINCOLN (AP) - An Ames man suffering from multiple sclerosis said a state on ban human cloning could rule out potential treatment and criminalize him for seeking medical help outside of Nebraska. A proposed state ban before lawmakers is a "bad law," James Dake said Wednesday, testifying before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee from his wheelchair. Omaha resident Rita Hejkal, who suffers from the same disease and walks with a cane, said she hopes for a cure but doesn't want one that compromises the sanctity of human life. Cloning "uses human beings, and it's wrong to use human beings," she said. Their comments came during more than two hours of testimony on the bill (LB700). About 100 people, including doctors, clergy members and people with life-threatening illnesses, showed up to voice their opinions. Many wore stickers expressing their support of or opposition to a ban. Two Nebraska State Patrol troopers were on hand for what was expected to be a heated debate. The proposed Human Cloning Prohibition Act would ban reproductive cloning and the creation of embryos for stem cell research using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer - more commonly referred to as therapeutic cloning. It also would prohibit bringing to Nebraska cells, embryos and other items produced through the cloning process, including potential treatments. Similar bills have been proposed by state lawmakers in the past, but none has made it to a final floor vote. The latest bill, introduced by Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, was co-signed by a majority of state senators. Christensen said Wednesday that the state needs to draw an ethical boundary when it comes to human cloning research - a science he said destroys human life. He said the bill was not an anti-research measure, as some opponents have claimed. Dr. James Turpen, a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said cloning "represents the pinnacle of scientific research" today, and further studies must be done to determine its full potential. The University of Nebraska system currently doesn't clone human embryos for reproductive purposes or to harvest stem cells for research on how to cure diseases, and there is a universitywide policy against doing so. Turpen and university administrator Ron Withem said that adopting a law in line with that policy would send a negative message about research opportunities in Nebraska. Dr. Lou Safranek, a member of the Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research, said the proposed ban was a reasonable bill presented at an appropriate time. The coalition, led mostly by doctors, calls cloning research unethical, a belief Safranek emphasized Wednesday. After questioning some of the testifiers, Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said the bill was "sloppily drafted." He agreed with Dake that such as law would open the door for "malicious prosecution" of Nebraskans who receive treatment derived from cloning research outside of the state. The proposed cloning ban would make violators guilty of a Class IV felony, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. Dake, who has practiced law, said this bill "is so cobbled together a prosecutor may have trouble pulling together expert witnesses to get a conviction." Lawmakers in 16 states have passed legislation regarding cloning, but only five states ban both reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Iowa, which passed similar legislation in 2002, recently eased restrictions on therapeutic cloning. California and New Jersey have laws that specifically permit cloning for research purposes. Currently, there is no federal law that governs cloning. Legislation has been introduced on both sides of the issue. Nebraska Legislature: www.nebraskalegislature.gov ©Star-Herald 2007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn