Stem cell bond issue has narrow lead in poll

A controversial measure that would provide $3 billion in state bond money to pay for human embryonic stem cell research holds a narrow margin of support among voters, according to a new Field Poll.

Proposition 71, designed to get around the Bush administration's funding limits on such research, would authorize the state to sell bonds to provide annual payments of about $300 million to scientists and companies doing stem cell research.

The poll found that 46 percent of likely voters support the idea with 39 percent opposed and 15 percent undecided. The margin of error was 4.3 percentage points.

The numbers are a slight improvement from an August poll that found 45 percent supported the bond measure to 42 percent opposed.

Supporters of the proposition -- including a coalition of influential Democratic donors and several Silicon Valley tycoons -- have raised more than $12 million for the campaign and are running TV ads.

The Field Poll found that half of those surveyed said they had seen or heard something about the initiative -- an improvement since August of 10 percentage...