Don needs our help, PWP. I just emailed all the legislators to vote NO on SB 1565. Don has made it easy. Please help him and yourself by urging California lawmakers to reject SB 1565.
Ray
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 7:27 AM
Subject: Come to Sacramento Tuesday!
COME TO SACRAMENTO TUESDAY!
DEFEND CALIFORNIA’S STEM CELL PROGRAM! Come to Sacramento tomorrow….
Folks, your help is needed.
Tuesday, June 17, 1:30 PM, Room 4202, in the Capitol building, Sacramento, California.
There will be a major committee hearing (Assembly Health Committee) on a bill (SB 1565) which would attempt to hamstring the operations of the California stem cell program—and conceivably restructure* it altogether.
That’s right, Proposition 71 is under attack—again! Tuesday is a crucial hearing to protect our wonderful stem cell program, and today is Monday. If we can defeat the bill (SB 1565, Kuehl/Runner) the primary sponsor will be termed out, and be unable to bring any more bills against us. But if we lose, the consequences could be permanent.
Can you join us in Sacramento tomorrow? If you can come, and you have the time, make a sign, saying PROTECT STEM CELL RESEARCH—VOTE NO ON SB 1565!
On Friday, I went to Sacramento to lobby against the bill. Working all day, I visited 15 offices, talking to legislative aides about SB 1565.
It was scary—most of them assumed that because there had been no organized opposition, that the bill must be good.
Understandable, although wrong. At the previous three hearings, I was the only person who spoke in opposition to SB 1565 (Kuehl, Runner).
It would be easy to think, oh, everyone agrees that the bill is okay.
But it is not okay.
Prop 71 is a magnificently structured organization, which works wonderfully well—why should we mess with something successful?
Please do not depend on someone else to show up. We need you, personally. If you are in driving distance of Sacramento, please join me at the hearing. Right now, I know only two people beside myself who will be coming, and both of them must rearrange medical appointments, so even they cannot guarantee attendance.
If I am alone at this one, again, it is pretty much a guarantee the bill will pass, which could mean conceivably a complete restructuring of the entire stem cell program. (See paragraph one below).
We have stood by this wonderful program before. We have withstood wave after wave of attacks. Everyone is tired, of course.
But once more into the breach, dear friends, as Shakespeare said.
If you absolutely cannot come yourself, could you send an email?
Do that right now, tomorrow will be too late.
Consider sending an email (the same one) to each member of the committee.
One sentence is all that is really needed, and you do not have to live in their district.
It could be short: “As a supporter of stem cell research, I urge your NO vote on Senate Bill 1565. “
Or long as you want.
Here is the letter I sent:
NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER
As the father of a paralyzed young man, and the sponsor of a successful California law supporting spinal cord injury research*, I strongly oppose SB 1565 (Kuehl/Runner), a bill with many hidden threats.
Three reasons leap to mind:
*1. SB 1565 would require the Little Hoover Commission to investigate the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)—for a fourth time. The California stem cell program has already been investigated (and found squeaky clean) three times. Further dissection is not only a waste of taxpayer dollars, but also a distraction from duty on an already short-handed CIRM staff. This is not just an investigation—the Little Hoover Commission is an “efficiency” group (translation: conservative) which may say, oh, this stem cell program is too large—let’s make it “efficient”, i.e. small… Prop 71 made is a stem cell program designed and built by stem cell advocates—do we want it now to be broken down and turned into something less?
2. By mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to affordable access for uninsured Californians, SB 1565 would deny bargaining ability to the CIRM. This could defeat the CIRM’s ability to negotiate with corporations. For instance, diseases like Spinal Muscle Atrophy (SMA) devastate lives of infants and their families, but the number of patients is not a large enough market to attract corporate investment. If CIRM retains its bargaining ability, (which SB 1565 threatens) it could offer flexibility in pricing on one area, in exchange for industry involvement in an “orphan disease” like SMA, thus potentially saving lives and advancing science for the good of all.
3. Co-author Senator George Runner, who has been described as “virulently anti-embryonic” in terms of stem cell research, reportedly seeks a new change in SB 1565. Senator Runner wishes to increase funding for the more conservatively-favored “adult” stem cell research, the type approved (and preferentially funded) by the Bush Administration. To backpedal now would be to deny the will of the California voters.
While doubtless begun with the best intentions, SB 1565 would be a frustrating obstacle to the California stem cell program, and all who support research for cure.
On behalf of millions who suffer chronic disease and disability, and who look to embryonic stem cell research for hope, I urge your strong opposition to SB 1565.
Sincerely,
Don C. Reed
a.. California’s Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, named after my paralyzed son, provided funding for a paralysis treatment developed by Geron, which is currently under discussion by the FDA, and we hope it will soon go to human trials.
Here is the Health Committee which meets tomorrow. If you can only write one email, send it to the first person on the list, Committee Chair, Mervyn Dymally.
Assembly Health Committee
Mervyn M. Dymally - Chair
Dem-52
(916) 319-2052
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Alan Nakanishi - Vice Chair
Rep-10
(916) 319-2010
[log in to unmask]
Patty Berg
Dem-1
(916) 319-2001
[log in to unmask]
Wilmer Amina Carter
Dem-62
(916) 319-2062
[log in to unmask]
Hector De La Torre
Dem-50
(916) 319-2050
[log in to unmask]
Kevin de Leon
Dem-45
(916) 319-2045
[log in to unmask]
Bill Emmerson
Rep-63
(916) 319-2063
[log in to unmask]
Ted Gaines
Rep-4
(916) 319-2004
[log in to unmask]
Loni Hancock
Dem-14
(916) 319-2014
[log in to unmask]
Mary Hayashi
Dem-18
(916) 319-2018
[log in to unmask]
Edward P. Hernandez
Dem-57
(916) 319-2057
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Bob Huff
Rep-60
(916) 319-2060
[log in to unmask]
Dave Jones
Dem-9
(916) 319-2009
[log in to unmask]
Sally J. Lieber
Dem-22
(916) 319-2022
[log in to unmask]
Fiona Ma
Dem-12
(916) 319-2012
[log in to unmask]
Mary Salas
Dem-79
(916) 319-2079
[log in to unmask]
Audra Strickland
Rep-37
(916) 319-2037
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Dave Jones - Chair
Dem-9
(916) 319-2009
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Van Tran - Vice Chair
Rep-68
(916) 319-2068
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Anthony Adams
Rep-59
(916) 319-2059
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Noreen Evans
Dem-7
(916) 319-2007
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Mike Feuer
Dem-42
(916) 319-2042
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Rick Keene
Rep-3
(916) 319-2003
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Paul Krekorian
Dem-43
(916) 319-2043
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John Laird
Dem-27
(916) 319-2027
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Dem-40
(916) 319-2040
[log in to unmask]
Sally J. Lieber
Dem-22
(916) 319-2022
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