Stem cell legislation on hold in Assembly

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Stem cell legislation on hold in Assembly

Lower house delays vote on the two bills as one of the measures advances in Senate

By Tom Hester, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), June 27, 2006

A two-bill package championed by Senate President Richard Codey that would pump $480 million or more into stem cell research in New Jersey has stalled in the Legislature until at least the autumn, its prime Assembly sponsor said yesterday.

Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union) said with the Legislature consumed by budget negotiations, and time running out before it recesses, the lower house will not act on proposals to provide $230 million to $500 million for stem sell research and $250 million for construction of research facilities

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee yesterday voted 8-3 with three abstentions in favor of a measure sponsored by Codey (D-Essex) that would ask voters to approve $230 million to finance private stem cell research. The measure is expected to be positioned for a vote by the full Senate on Friday, but Cohen said he wants the funding set at $500 million and does not foresee a compromise or Assembly action before the recess.

For a referendum to appear on the ballot, the legislation would have to be approved by early September.

"It will be too late for the referendum. It will probably be revisited in the fall," Cohen said.

"Right now we are focused on the budget," Codey said.

Cohen said at one point he and Codey settled on a compromise that would set the funding for research at $320 million to $350 million. But, Cohen said, they disagree on how the research money should be allocated, supervised and repaid, so he and Codey fell back on their separate bills.

Yesterday, the bill (S1091) received the support of seven Democrats and one Republican, but three Republicans voted in opposition and three abstained.

Sen. Walter J. Kavanaugh (R-Somerset), a committee member who uses a wheelchair, told the audience he is a victim of spinal cord damage, proposed the measure be amended to prevent using stem cells taken from human embryos for research. When his proposal was defeated, he voted against the legislation.

Wise Young, chairman of Cell Biology and Neuro Science at Rutgers University in Piscataway, said California is gaining the lead in stem cell research, and New Jersey risks falling behind if the $230 million is not quickly approved.

"There will be a giant sucking sound from the West Coast, and we will have a very difficult time recruiting scientists to the East Coast," he said.

Codey's legislation to provide $250 million for research facilities passed the Senate on May 19 and is pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), the chairman, said he expects no further action before the recess.

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