State Supreme Court Rejects Challenge, Clearing Way for Stem Cell Bond Initiative

The California Supreme Court refused May 16 to consider a constitutional challenge to the state stem cell initiative, clearing the way for $3 billion in bonds to be sold to fund stem cell research (People's Advocate and National Tax Limitation Foundation v. Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, Cal., No. S151574, review denied, 5/16/07).

Justices at their weekly meeting declined to review the appeal brought by opponents of California's Proposition 71, a November 2004 initiative authorizing an annual pool of $300 million to further stem cell and other medical research over a decade.

Justice Joyce Kennard voted to grant review of the decision by the California Court of Appeal, First District, upholding the initiative, according to the court docket.

A unanimous panel of the appeals court ruled last February, “we have no hesitation in concluding, in the exercise of 'our solemn duty to jealously guard the precious initiative power,’ that Proposition 71 suffers from no constitutional or other legal infirmity” (California Family Bioethics Council v. Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, Cal. Ct. App., No. A114195; People's Advocate v. Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, Cal...