|
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 22nd,
2006
Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c)
516.991.3842 (w) 212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151
***PRESS RELEASE***
STATE
SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER CALLS ON SENATE MAJORITY
TO BRING STEM
CELL RESEARCH BILL TO FLOOR
Albany, NY – More than 128 million
Americans suffer from chronic and degenerative ailments such as diabetes,
cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Because the promise of stem cell research has offered hope to many
suffering from these persistent and difficult diseases, State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) has introduced the
Reproductive Cloning Prohibition and Stem Cell Research Protection Act to
encourage stem cell research in New
York State. Yesterday Senator Krueger called on the Republican Majority to bring the
bill to the floor of the Senate for a full vote.
"New
York State
has historically been a haven for open scientific inquiry and technological
innovation, and has become a world leader in biomedicine and biotechnology
thanks to public support and private investment," Senator Krueger said. "In
spite of New York’s reputation as a
world-class epicenter for medical innovation, states such as California threaten to leave New York behind in the race toward new
technologies involving stem cell research."
"We must take action now to fulfill the promise of
stem cell research,” Senator Krueger
said. "When our neighbors,
friends, and family members with debilitating diseases look to us for
assistance, we must be able to say that we have done everything possible to
help them.”
One important way in which New York State
can encourage stem cell research is by creating an ethical policy framework
to guide the development of stem cell research programs. Senator
Krueger’s bill would address moral issues by banning reproductive human
cloning, and protect stem cell research by creating a mechanism for the
transfer of unused genetic material to scientific institutions, requiring the
clear and informed consent of donors.
Senator Krueger’s
motion to bring the bill to the floor failed when Senate Republicans
unanimously withheld their support.
-30-
|
