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Doyle Vetoes Ban on Human Cloning

Posted on: Friday, 4 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By Stacy Forster, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nov. 4--MADISON -- Saying the state shouldn't stand in the way of stem cell research in Wisconsin, Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday vetoed a ban on all forms of human cloning in the state.

Supporters of the ban said it would have prevented unethical research from being conducted here.

Doyle went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Biotechnology Center to veto the bill (AB 499).

Although he opposes the idea of cloning humans, he said the legislation would go against Wisconsin's history of innovation and block the potential to unlock cures for diseases ranging from juvenile diabetes to Parkinson's disease.

"Allowing our scientists to search for cures to the world's deadliest diseases is not about being liberal or conservative. It's about being compassionate," Doyle said, adding the industry is an important one for Wisconsin's economy. "Continuing this research is a win-win for our state."

Cloning cells might be the "next step" of where stem cell research is going, Doyle said.

"This bill was about stopping stem cell research in Wisconsin, and I know the people of this state don't want this potentially life-saving research to come to an end," he said.

But many in the state are opposed to human cloning, said the bill's author, Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan).

Without the ban in place, scientists are left without any guidelines about what areas of research are acceptable, he said.

"That's going to continue to make people question whether they can and should do business here," Leibham said.

Wisconsin is considered an international leader in stem cell research.

UW-Madison recently was chosen as the home the National Institutes of Health's National Stem Cell Bank, and Doyle said the industry employs 22,000 people in Wisconsin and adds $6.9 billion a year to the state's economy.

The bill would have prevented embryos from being cloned for research purposes (called therapeutic cloning) or from being brought to term (known as reproductive cloning).

The legislation also would have imposed penalties for those caught breaking the law.

Through Doyle's veto, the state has "the welcome mat rolled out" for scientists who want to engage in such research, said Susan Armacost, legislative director for Wisconsin Right to Life, which backed the bill.

"We're not talking about stem cells anymore; we're talking about growing these embryos . . . not for stem cells but for organs and body parts," Armacost said.

There isn't any cloning research happening in the state now, nor does the university expect there will be, said UW-Madison spokesman Terry Devitt.

Those who support the cloning ban said it wasn't intended to limit stem cell research but would have addressed the discomfort that many residents have with cloning.

Leibham said he bill was narrowly written so it clearly would apply to research only related to cloning. Leibham said Doyle was misrepresenting the bill by tying its language to stem cell research.

"The bill tried to set the guidelines for Wisconsin and allow the real positive areas of research that are really providing the most results," Leibham said, referring to adult stem cell and umbilical cord blood research.

Some Republican lawmakers had tried but failed to amend the bill so it would ban only reproductive cloning.

The state Assembly passed the bill 59-38, and the measure cleared the Senate 21-12; neither house likely would have the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

Critics of the cloning ban, including Doyle, said passing such a measure would send a signal that Wisconsin was turning its back on the potential capabilities of groundbreaking research.

James Thomson, the UW researcher who first isolated and cultured human embryonic stem cells, was at Doyle's veto announcement.

He said the perception that Wisconsin is anti-science is a serious concern to young researchers who are considering where to set up shop.

Thomson said the future success of cloning is difficult to predict.

Instead of spending time on cloning, he said, "I wish (the Legislature) had spent that much effort trying to build a consensus and examine areas where this research is acceptable and send out a positive message in some limited way that we support this research."

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Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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