Cures, jobs, ethics on the line in vote on stem cell research

Ryan Dinkgrave lived a carefree life in Livonia until he was diagnosed with type I diabetes at age 10. Suddenly everything was ordered and careful.

"It makes you rethink everything you do," he said. "You're young, you're told you need to do shots, you're measuring your blood sugar. You have to count, carefully measure everything you eat."

Dinkgrave, now 25 and of Royal Oak, is among Michigan residents who support Proposal 2, a November ballot initiative allowing Michigan researchers to make embryonic stem cell cultures from excess embryos donated from fertility treatments. Researchers say the cells could unlock the secrets of disease and lead to cures for illnesses such as Alzheimer's and type I diabetes.

Voters will decide this emotionally charged issue on the basis of a 100-word ballot initiative -- one that could not only affect people's health, but also the economy of Michigan for decades to come. Proponents say the measure could spark a life sciences sector and pump billions of dollars into the state's struggling economy.

Opponents insist embryonic stem cell research is unnecessary because alternative types...