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CALL MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TODAY! Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from Representative Phyllis Kahn (D-MN) saying that a very good stem cell research bill for the state of Minnesota, had just passed their House of Representatives, and was almost certainly going to pass the Senate today, Friday, May 9th. The only roadblock could be the Governor, Tim Pawlenty, rumored to be on the short list of Senator John McCain's possible choices for Vice-President. He might be tempted to veto this important bill. Representative Kahn, a long-time stem cell research supporter, asks us to do everything in our power to contact Governor Pawlenty. We cannot let her down. Please call Governor Tim Pawlenty, today. Leave a message with one of his assistants, asking the Governor to sign the stem cell research bill (HF 34/SF 100) which just passed the Minnesota state House of Representatives. Governor Pawlenty's phone number is (651) 296-3391. I have a list of about 60 activists in Minnesota. I will contact them. Do you have any friends in that state? If so, please call them, and ask them to call the Governor. Would you personally be one of the folks who will make the call to Governor Pawlenty? Even if you do not live in Minnesota, it is vital that he hears from us. No Governor should be allowed to block stem cell research-and expect to have it go unnoticed! If he signs it, that is to his credit. If not, he must know that America took note, that we are watching, and that we will remember in November. Thanks! P.S. Below is the bill we support. It is an excellent permissions bill, authorizing the University of Minnesota to spend state-appropriated funds on full stem cell research. H.F. No. 34, as introduced - 85th Legislative Session (2007-2008) Posted on Jan 08, 2007 1.1 A bill for an act 1.2relating to health; establishing state policy for stem cell research; providing 1.3criminal penalties; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in 1.4Minnesota Statutes, chapters 137; 145. 1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6 Section 1. [137.45] STEM CELL RESEARCH. 1.7 The University of Minnesota may spend state-appropriated funds on stem cell 1.8research. 1.9 Sec. 2. [145.426] LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. 1.10 The legislature finds and declares all of the following: 1.11 (a) An estimated 128,000,000 Americans suffer from the crippling economic 1.12and psychological burden of chronic, degenerative, and acute diseases and conditions, 1.13including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. 1.14 (b) The costs of treatment and lost productivity of chronic, degenerative, and acute 1.15diseases and conditions in the United States constitute hundreds of billions of dollars every 1.16year. Estimates of the economic costs of these diseases and conditions do not account for 1.17the associated extreme human loss and suffering. 1.18 (c) Stem cell research offers immense promise for developing new medical therapies 1.19for these debilitating diseases and conditions and a critical means to explore fundamental 1.20questions of biology. Stem cell research could lead to unprecedented treatments and 1.21potential cures for diabetes, cancer, and other diseases and conditions. 1.22 (d) The United States and Minnesota have historically been a haven for open 1.23scientific inquiry and technological innovation and this environment, coupled with the 2.1commitment of public and private resources, has made the United States the preeminent 2.2world leader in biomedicine and biotechnology. 2.3 (e) The biomedical industry is a critical and growing component of Minnesota's 2.4economy and would be significantly diminished by limitations imposed on stem cell 2.5research. 2.6 (f) Open scientific inquiry and publicly funded research will be essential to realizing 2.7the promise of stem cell research and to maintain Minnesota's leadership in biomedicine 2.8and biotechnology. Publicly funded stem cell research, conducted under established 2.9standards of open scientific exchange, peer review, and public oversight, offers the 2.10most efficient and responsible means of fulfilling the promise of stem cells to provide 2.11regenerative medical therapies. 2.12 (g) Stem cell research, including the use of embryonic stem cells for medical 2.13research, raises significant ethical and policy concerns and, while not unique, the ethical 2.14and policy concerns associated with stem cell research must be carefully considered. 2.15 (h) Public policy on stem cell research must balance ethical and medical 2.16considerations. The policy must be based on an understanding of the science associated 2.17with stem cell research and grounded in a thorough consideration of the ethical concerns 2.18regarding this research. Public policy on stem cell research must be carefully crafted to 2.19ensure that researchers have the tools necessary to fulfill the promise of stem cell research. 2.20 Sec. 3. [145.427] STATE POLICY FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH. 2.21 Subdivision 1. Research use permitted. The policy of the state of Minnesota is 2.22that research involving the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells, human 2.23embryonic germ cells, and human adult stem cells from any source, including somatic 2.24cell nuclear transplantation, shall be permitted and that full consideration of the ethical 2.25and medical implications of this research be given. Research involving the derivation and 2.26use of human embryonic stem cells, human embryonic germ cells, and human adult stem 2.27cells, including somatic cell nuclear transplantation, shall be reviewed by an approved 2.28institutional review board. 2.29 Subd. 2. Informed consent. A physician, surgeon, or other health care provider 2.30who is treating a patient for infertility shall provide the patient with timely, relevant, and 2.31appropriate information sufficient to allow the patient to make an informed and voluntary 2.32choice regarding the disposition of any human embryos remaining following the fertility 2.33treatment. Any patient to whom information is provided under this subdivision shall 2.34be presented with the options of storing any unused embryos, donating the embryos 2.35to another individual, discarding the embryos, or donating the remaining embryos for 3.1research. Any patient who elects to donate embryos remaining after fertility treatments 3.2for research shall provide written consent to that donation. 3.3 Subd. 3. Prohibiting sale of fetal tissue. (a) A person may not knowingly, for 3.4valuable consideration, purchase, sell, or otherwise transfer or obtain, or promote the 3.5sale or transfer of, embryonic or cadaveric fetal tissue for research purposes. However, 3.6embryonic or cadaveric fetal tissue may be donated for research purposes under this 3.7section. For purposes of this subdivision, "valuable consideration" means financial gain or 3.8advantage, but does not include reasonable payment for the removal, processing, disposal, 3.9preservation, quality control, storage, transplantation, or implantation of embryonic or 3.10cadaveric fetal tissue. 3.11 (b) Violation of this subdivision is a gross misdemeanor. 3.12 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION. 3.13 $....... in fiscal year 2008 is appropriated from the general fund to the Board of 3.14Regents of the University of Minnesota for the purposes of sections 1 to 3. Please direct all comments concerning issues or legislation to your House Member or State Senator. For Legislative Staff or for directions to the Capitol, visit the Contact Us page. General questions or comments. last updated: 01/04/2008 Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn