Life Lines™

Annapolis, MD | March 17, 2005

There is a very good possibility that Del. Tanya Shewell's House Bill 1356 "Adult Stem Cell Research Program" will be voted on in the Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee this week. Del. Sandy Rosenberg's House Bill 1183 "MD Stem Cell Research Act of 2005" - which authorizes research that involves embryonic stem cells - will also be voted on by HGO the same day.

Please support HB 1356 with the qualifications proposed by Pro-Life Maryland by flooding emails to the following delegates on the HGO Committee as soon as possible: Del. John A. Hurson, Del. Peter A. Hammen, Del. Joan C. Benson, Del. Eric M. Bromwell, Del. John P. Donoghue, Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater, Del. Sue Kullen, Del. Dan K. Morhaim, Del. Gareth E. Murray, Del. David D. Rudolph, Del. Veronica L. Turner

In your e-mail messages, please state the following:

I would like to express my support of HB 1356, "Adult Stem Cell Research Program," with the addition of the three amendments proposed by Delegate Tanya Thornton Shewell and the qualifications presented by Pro-Life Maryland.

Specifically, on Page 2, lines 1-6, of the proposed legislation, reference to "early embryonic cells" should instead pertain to "partially specialized cells." Likewise, the bill should make it more clear that "stem cell research" would indeed fund research on adult stem cells, and not on the cells obtained from human embryos or aborted fetuses.

With these qualifications, HB 1356 is worthy of support. Adult stem cell research, unlike embryonic stem cell research, has proven to be both effective and promising in treating human patients. Using ethical means to alleviate people’s suffering, it is important work. Embryonic stem cell research, on the other hand, is both ineffective in treatment and is destructive to innocent human life.

Additionally, the results of the January 2005 Mason Dixon Poll done in the state of Maryland reported that 69% of Marylanders polled stated that they did not want state government funds to be used for embryonic stem cell research.

For the benefit of the common good, I urge you both to support HB 1356, with the aforementioned modifications, and oppose HB 1183, which would promote the destruction of human embryos in the name of "research."

Please contact your legislators concerning currently proposed legislation: TAKE ACTION NOW

To find out who your legislators are, and contact them directly, click here.

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