Big fight over Michigan stem cell proposal

Proposal 2 on the Nov. 4 ballot, if passed, would end Michigan's status as one of the few states where embryonic stem cell research is illegal.

The proposed state constitutional amendment would allow human embryos to be used for any research permitted under federal law.  The embryos covered by the proposal must have been created for fertility treatment purposes, are not suitable for implantation or are in excess of clinical needs, would be discarded unless used for research, and were donated by the person seking fertility treatment.  Stem cells could not be taken from human embryos more than 14 days after cell division begins.

In addition, the proposal prohibits selling or purchasing human embryos for stem cell research, and bans state and local laws that prevent, restrict or discourage stem cell research, future therapies and cures.

Proponents, organized as Cure Michigan, argue that embryonic stem cell research has the potential to lead to new treatments and cures for many devastating diseases.  Embryonic stem cells are capable of great modification, and may be able to replace damaged, diseased and destroyed cells of all kinds.

Supporters have estimated that embryonic stem cell research would create at least 8,000 new jobs in a state with the nation's highest unemployment rate.

Opponents, organized as Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation (MI-CAUSE), claim that passing the proposal would raise taxes, open the door to human cloning, and allow experiments mixing human DNA and cow eggs.

Cure Michigan members have denounced these claims as dishonest.  They note that the proposal doesn't mandate any state spending on stem cell research, leaves the current ban on human cloning intact, and that mixing human DNA and cow eggs is already allowed.

Polls have found voters favoring approval, and both sides are spending large sums on TV ads.  MI-CAUSE has had a head start in covering the airwaves, but Cure Michigan, whose recent fundraiser featured former President Bill Clinton, is expected to match this effort in the weeks before the election.  Its most recent ad features Laura Jackson, 19, of Livonia, who was paralyzed in a cheerleading accident and whose condition improved somewhat after receiving stem cell treatments in China.