A Missouri pro-life group is concerned taxpayers may be on the hook for funding human cloning or embryonic stem cell research and its wants state legislators to do something about it.
The Missouri Science Innovation & Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA) is legislation that sets up a fund and a process by which research companies involved in plant, agriculture, or life sciences can invest money into a state fund. The fund then would be used for start-up money for research business incubators including businesses involved in life science research.
That sounds fine and good, but, according to Missouri Right to Life, the fund established by MOSIRA would be controlled and governed by The Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), which is closely connected to the supporters of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research.
In an email alert to LifeNews.com, Missouri Right to Life says it has “worked for several years to add to MOSIRA the protective language of 196.1127, already in Missouri statute, preventing public funding of unethical research. We were unable to do so until this year when MOSIRA, with protective language, passed the Missouri House as a stand-alone bill.”
“However, the version passed in the Senate had no protective language and was added to other legislation including an extension of tax credits for pregnancy resource centers,” the groups continue. “Other groups have proposed language for MOSIRA that would abandon the pro-life protections of 196.1127 and instead would require the MTC to report any incidences of unethical research to the legislature.”
The pro-life organization is calling on the Missouri House and Senate to “add the protective language of 196.1127 to any version of MOSIRA regardless of whether or not it is a stand alone bill or amended on to another bill.”
“We also urge the House and Senate to vote to protect all life on every bill and not hold hostage the tax credits for pregnancy resource centers for the sake of business profits for unethical research,” MRL says. “Missouri Right to Life also urges those who would compromise, to hold fast to pro-life principles when confronted by the threats of pro-cloning/ESCR legislators.”
Concerned pro-life Missouri residents can call their Missouri Representative and Senator and urge support for the protective language of 196.1127 for MOSIRA and urge lawmakers to support extending tax credits for pregnancy resource centers but not by opening the door to public funding of life-destroying research. They can contact legislators at https://www.moga.mo.gov/
