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New York Times, January 17, 2005
Fearing New York May Fall Behind, Senator Proposes Stem Cell Institute
Mike McIntire
Hoping to catch up to other states that are aggressively supporting
research on embryonic stem cells, Democratic leaders in the New York Senate
announced legislation yesterday that would commit $1 billion to a similar
effort in New York.
The proposal, offered by David A. Paterson, the Senate Democratic leader,
calls for the creation of a New York stem cell institute to regulate research
in the field, as well as make loans and grants to organizations and
companies. It is similar to an initiative under way in California, which
approved a $3 billion stem cell research fund last year, and to a $380
million proposal announced last week by New Jersey's acting governor, Richard
J. Codey.
Mr. Paterson drew attention to California at a news conference at City Hall,
saying its program, which is poised to begin making its first research grants
within months, represents ''our chief competition.''
''Of course, New York still has an advantage because of our vast intellectual
power and network of public and private universities, research centers and
medical facilities,'' he said. ''But that gap is closing.''
Senator Eric T. Schneiderman, a Manhattan Democrat, bluntly warned that New
York stood to suffer economically if it did not act soon to support
private-sector research initiatives. ''If the state of New York doesn't
recognize the competitive need, our research scientists are all going to
change their tune from 'I love New York' to 'California, Here I Come' in a
very short period of time,'' he said. ''We have a very narrow window to meet
the challenge.''
Mr. Paterson made his announcement two days before Gov. George E. Pataki is
to present his 2006 state budget proposal. The senator said that he hoped the
governor, a Republican, would eventually include the money in the budget for
the next fiscal year, which begins in April, but that the administration had
not yet expressed an opinion on the matter.
Jennifer Meicht, a spokeswoman for the governor, said the administration
would not comment on Mr. Paterson's proposal until it had reviewed it.
''Generally, the governor has been supportive of the concept of stem cell
research,'' she said.
Under Mr. Paterson's proposal, the state would borrow up to $1 billion over
10 years. Unless the governor includes funding for it in his budget, the
project stands little chance of becoming reality. The initiative would
require approval by voters in a referendum, which Mr. Paterson said he favored
putting on the ballot later this year.
With the state facing a projected $6 billion deficit next year, growing to
$7.7 billion the year after that, it is unclear how much support there will
be in Albany for adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the debt burden.
Senator Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who has proposed a law to create
ethical guidelines for stem cell research, said that the roughly $100 million
a year to finance the institute was relatively small in the context of the
state's $100 billion budget.
Ms. Krueger said that while it was important that New York move quickly to
provide financial incentives to the growing industry, it was imperative that
the state not cede too much control to the private sector.
''I personally think that California, having moved its money to the table,
made some mistakes in how they went forward,'' she said. ''To be honest, they
didn't build in enough government oversight and control, and they may have in
fact given too much of the decision-making to the biotech industries.''
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