The passage of Proposal 2 by a narrow margin in 2008 left many unanswered questions regarding human embryonic stem cell research. A package of bills titled the Embryo Research & Fertility Clinic Transparency Act was introduced in the Michigan House and Senate to address these questions.
The Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee will take up the Embryo Research Transparency Package on Wednesday, December 9, where a vote to report the bills to the full Senate is expected.
Please take 5 minutes to contact your state senator and urge them to support this legislation.
ALL SENATORS IN LANSING should receive calls/emails/faxes either asking for, or thanking co-sponsors for, their support on the Embryo Research package. There are 18 Senators who have co-sponsored the bills and Majority Leader Mike Bishop has put his full support behind it. The list of lead sponsors and co-sponsors to thank and urge their YES vote include:
Mike Bishop, Tom George, Roger Kahn, Jim Barcia, Dennis Olshove, Jud Gilbert, Mark Jansen, Ray Basham, Patty Birkholz, Nancy Cassis, Alan Cropsey, John Gleason, Bill Hardiman, Wayne Kuipers, Michelle McManus, Alan Sanborn, Tony Stamas, Randy Richardville, Jerry VanWoerkom
The message for those senators not listed should be:
“PLEASE VOTE YES ON THE EMBRYO RESEARCH TRANSPARENCY PACKAGE. THE VOTERS EXPECT PROPOSAL 2 TO BE IMPLEMENTED AND ENFORCED.”
Because Proposal 2 was a constitutional amendment no law can reverse it, only another constitutional amendment. This package is designed to close the potential loopholes in the amendment's language. It will make sure the limitations in Proposal 2 are put into statute along with definitions and penalties. It will also clarify that other types of human embryo research were NOT authorized by Proposal 2.
For more information about the bills, please go to the Right to Life of Michigan's legislative center.
