Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) -- Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has come out on record as opposing a bill in the state legislature that would ban human cloning for both reproductive and research purposes. His opposition upsets pro-life groups, which have been trying to get the bill out of a Senate committee.

The Senate Judiciary-Civil Justice Committee has been sitting on SB 174 for months and has held several hearings on the measure.

On Friday, Strickland press secretary Keith Dailey said the governor is willing to work with legislators to come up with a compromise version of the bill he could support.

Dailey said Strickland opposes the bill in the current form because it would limit human cloning for research -- where scientists could create human beings to destroy solely for the purpose of obtaining their stem cells.

Although only adult stem cells have shown any real promise for patients, Strickland wants scientists to be able to clone human beings for stem cells.

"The governor is not supportive because a severe limitation on stem cell research will prohibit research that could save countless lives through the study of cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes among other illnesses," Dailey said.

Paula Westwood, the director of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, responded to the news in a statement to LifeNews.com.

"Governor Strickland's opposition to this ban is not surprising, for he is adamantly pro-abortion, and unconcerned regarding protections for innocent life at any stage of development," she said.

Westwood said her group is still hoping the Senate panel will approve the bill and force the governor to make good on his threat to veto it.

"If Governor Strickland plans to veto, then he needs to be faced with the choice to actually do so, and be on record as supporting human cloning--which most voters do not," she said.

ACTION: Contact Governor Strickland at http://governor.ohio.gov or email keith.dailey@governor.ohio.gov.

Related web sites:
Ohio Senate - http://www.senate.state.oh.us
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org