Florida Lawmakers Reject Tax Money for Embryonic Stem Cell Research 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 7, 2006
Tallahassee, FL (LifeNews.com) — Florida lawmakers in both the state House and Senate rejected spending taxpayer funds on embryonic stem cell research. Both chambers disapproved of adding amendments to the state budget, but he House engaged in a more passionate debate on the subject.
In the House some legislators wanted to use $1 million of the money in the budget for cancer research on embryonic stem cell studies.
However, lawmakers opposed the idea because embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of human life. They also pointed out that adult stem cell research has already yielded dozens of treatments for cures and diseases while embryonic research hasn’t even come close to being used to help patients.
The amendment would have allowed researchers to destroy human embryos from fertility clinics for their stem cells.
Rep. Franklin Sands, a Democrat, has been pushing for the funding but chose to offer an amendment because his stand alone bill funding the controversial research has failed to advance.
Speaking for pro-life lawmakers, Rep. Dennis Baxley, a Republican, also said lawmakers should debate a bill not an amendment to the state budget.
"Wrong measure, wrong place, wrong time," he said, according to an AP report.
Rep. Aaron Bean, another Republican, added that embryonic stem cell research "involves actually dismembering living embryos."
"If you value life, then I ask you to stand with me today and vote no," he said.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush is opposed to spending taxpayer dollars on embryonic stem cell research.
Pro-life groups including Florida Right to Life, the Florida Baptist Convention and the Florida Catholic Conference have urged lawmakers to oppose any legislation that would spend money on it.
