The New Jersey state Senate has put its stamp of approval on a measure that would have voters decide if they want $350 million in taxpayer-funded research grants. Over the objections of pro-life groups, the Senate voted 28-8 for the measure, which would fund controversial embryonic stem cell research. The bill is expected to be combined with a House measure that uses $145 million in tax money to build stem cell research centers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Acting Governor Codey has been pressing for approval of the measure to solidify his legacy, but pro-life groups say they don't want their money used to promote the destruction of human life.

While adult stem cells have produced treatments for dozens of diseases and conditions, embryonic stem cell research has yet to cure any patients and has problems with patients' immune systems rejecting the cells.

Sen. Barbara Buono acknowledged the concerns pro-life advocates have with the bill, the Bergen Record reported, but she voted for it anyway.

"I do not deny that there are ethical concerns that are raised by any developing field of biotechnology," said Buono, a Middlesex County Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill.

Joseph Donnelly, a spokesman for current Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, a Democrat, told the Express-Times newspaper that Assembly leaders have discussed the bill but need to debate it fully within the Democratic caucus.

"We had a brief discussion (Monday) in caucus about a myriad of remaining lame-duck issues," he said. "No decisions have been made."

John Tomicki, executive director of the state chapter of the League of American Families, said the bill should be rejected because it spends money on embryonic stem cell research, which destroys human life and has yet to cure any patients.

"This remains a thorny issue with moral implications," said Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, a Democrat who will become Speaker in January.

PRESS RELEASE

New Jersey Right to Life
113 North Avenue West
Cranford, NJ 07016
Contact: Marie Tasy
(732) 846-2000

NJRTL CALLS ON SENATOR ROBERT SINGER TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM SENATE VOTE ON 2913, STEM CELL RESEARCH BOND ACT OF 2006

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS CITED

December 15, 2005

The NJ Senate is scheduled to take up S2913, the Stem Cell Research Bond Act of 2006 today. Citing potential conflicts of interest, New Jersey Right to Life urges Senator Bob Singer (R-30) to recuse himself from voting on S2913. In addition to serving on the NJ Commission on Science and Technology which is the body designated under S2913 to allocate research money, Senator Singer is Vice President of Corporate Relations for Community/Kimball Medical Center, an affiliate of the St. Barnabas Health Care System in Livingston, NJ.   St. Barnabas Hospital is located in Acting Governor Codey’s legislative district.

St. Barnabas Hospital is already performing medical research involving the genetic altering of human embryos and will be eligible to receive grants under S2913.    In 2001, St. Barnabas Hospital published a study documenting the performance of the controversial and potentially dangerous ooplasmic transfer procedure.   Ooplasmic transfer is a process where mitochondrial genes from the egg of one donor will be transferred to the egg of another and then implanted in the womb.   This creates children with genes from three parents. Children born from this procedure developed a high incidence of Turner syndrome.   Following the St. Barnabas announcement, the FDA notified all US fertility clinics known to be offering the procedure that further ooplasm transfer protocols could not proceed without FDA approval.

As a member of the Commission on Science and Technology, Senator Singer will be in a unique position to steer grant money to St. Barnabas Hospital and/or its affiliate, Kimball Medical Center, where he holds a high level management position.   It would be a breach of professional and governmental ethics for Senator Singer to vote on this bill. He should recuse himself.  ###

Marie Tasy, Executive Director
New Jersey Right to Life
113 North Avenue West
Cranford, NJ 07016
(908) 276-6620
email: mtasy@njrtl.org
Visit us on the web at http://www.njrtl.org
Sign up to receive pro-life news, and legislative action alerts through our Action E-list http://capwiz.com/njrtl/mlm/signup/

December 12, 2005

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

Thanks to all who made phone calls and sent emails to Members of the Senate Budget Committee hearing today on S2913. This bill is now one step closer to being placed on the ballot in time for the November 2006 election. S2913 will ask voters to approve borrowing $350 Million in public bonds for stem cell research as stipulated in a previous law passed by the legislature which encourages embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and fetal harvesting through the newborn stages.

Unfortunately, the bill was released from Committee today which means it can be voted on in the full Senate as early as Thursday, December 15. Of the 12 members that were present today on the Senate Budget Committee, 7 Senators voted “Yes,” 4 Senators Abstained and 1 voted “No.”

Republican Senator Tom Kean, Jr., who is running for the U. S. Senate in the November 2006 election was the only Republican to vote yes. He joined 6 Democrats who voted to release the bill from committee. Listed below is the breakdown of how the Senators on the Budget committee voted.

At this time, please immediately contact your State Senator and two Assembly members and tell them to vote No on S2913/A4499. You can send a prewritten message from our legislative action center by clicking on the link below:

http://capwiz.com/njrtl/issues/alert/?alertid=7788751&type=ST

How They Voted

On December 12, 2005, The following Senators voted Yes to release S2913 bill from committee. Please note that NJRTL considers all Yes votes to be anti-life votes.

Senator Wayne Bryant (D), Senator Steve Sweeney (D), Senator Shirley Turner (D) Senator Barbara Buono (D), Senator Bernard Kenny (D) Senator Paul Sarlo (D) Senator Tom Kean (R )

The following Senators abstained : Senator Leonard Lance (R ), Senator Robert Littell ( R ), Senator Martha Bark ( R), Senator Joseph Doria (D). Senator Anthony Bucco ( R ) voted No.

Senators Sharpe James (D), Senator Walter Kavanaugh ( R ), and Senator Joseph Coniglio were absent and did not vote.

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