CGS-authored

Stem-cell research isn't "a liberal versus conservative issue. ... This is about saving lives, plain and simple."

So said acting New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey recently in Princeton.

Codey wants New Jersey to invest $380 million in this emerging science of building-block cells, which holds promise for treating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. He'd spend $150 million to build the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Institute in New Brunswick and $230 million through a ballot initiative to fund research grants.

With proper oversight, this investment could improve the nation's health care and extend New Jersey's leadership in biomedicine.

Many acting governors would have shelved this issue; they'd duck the hard moral choices involved. But Codey's not that kind of guy. With President Bush limiting federal funding, he knows states have to act.

"Investing state dollars into stem-cell research is not an easy decision," Codey said. "There has been a lot of legitimate discussion about whether now is even the time to do this. But the benefits far outweigh any concerns that have been raised."

Codey, along with many...