Stem cell dissent roils states

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Nine months ago, Missouri voters became the first in the nation to pass a constitutional amendment protecting embryonic stem cell research.

Ever since, opponents have been working feverishly to overturn it.

They have not yet succeeded in criminalizing the research -- though they hope to accomplish that in the next election. But they have created so much uncertainty and mistrust that scientists who just last fall viewed Missouri as a beacon won't even consider moving here now.

Unable to recruit top scientists, despite cutting-edge labs and an endowment of $2 billion, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research last week canceled plans for a major expansion in Kansas City. The research institute also moved a large chunk of its endowment to Delaware, calling the political climate in Missouri too hostile for investment.

"It's like Amendment 2 never passed," said Bill Duncan, president of a scientific consortium seeking to build a biotech hub here. "I won't say we're undaunted," Duncan added glumly. "Because we're not."

The reversal in Missouri has been striking. But the state is far from unique.

Embryonic stem cell research has quickly become one of the hottest, and most divisive, topics in state legislatures nationwide. More than 100 bills on the subject have been introduced in the last seven months alone. That leads to some surreal situations: In Florida this spring, a state Senate committee simultaneously passed bills permitting and prohibiting state funding for embryonic research. (Both failed to advance.)

Even states that moved decisively to support embryonic research remain roiled by dissent.

Last fall, Connecticut began sending state funds to scientists for embryonic research. Within two months, conservative lawmakers had introduced a bill to outlaw the work. Similar maneuvers took place in Maryland and Illinois after state funding was committed.

And in California, voters no sooner approved $3 billion in bonds to fund embryonic research than the plan was challenged in court. The legal battle stalled the initiative for more than two years; bond funds began flowing to researchers just in the last few months.

In all four states, embryonic stem-cell supporters eventually won. But few expect the debate to end there.

"The stem-cell issue comes up on a regular basis in every state of the union, and every time it comes up, it pits two very entrenched, very dogged sides against each other," said Patrick Kelly, a vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a national trade group.