Other states looking to spend public money on stem cell research

During the 2004 elections, supporters of California's Proposition 71 stem
cell effort said they hoped the initiative would serve as an example to
other states. As more than a dozen other states pursue their own stem cell
efforts, it appears California is in fact being used as an example--but in
some cases, it is being held as an example of what not to do.

While critics of California's stem cell agency have focused on what they see
as conflicts of interests and unfulfilled promises, observers in other
states say the far bigger problem is the sheer size and visibility of
California's program.

"A key lesson so far has been that low profile efforts seem more effective,"
said Aaron Levine, a PhD. candidate at Princeton University who has been
studying stem cell campaigns in different states. "Because Proposition 71
dealt with such large sums of money, it became a national, if not
international, issue and attracted significant opposition."

The debate also took place in the shadow of the Bush administration's
efforts to limit the scope of stem cell research, which helped...