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Along with public funding should come public oversight. Instead, the Governor gave CIRM a blank check.

The Center for Genetics and Society released the following statement regarding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to directly loan California's stem cell agency $150 million from the state's general fund.

This statement can be attributed to CGS Program Director Jesse Reynolds:

Unfortunately, Gov. Schwarzenegger failed to take an important opportunity to implement real, enforceable oversight of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Like the majority of Californians and Americans, we support using public money for embryonic stem cell research. But along with public funding should come public oversight. Instead, the Governor gave CIRM a blank check.

Proposition 71, the initiative that created the CIRM in 2004, specifically exempted CIRM from oversight by California's elected officials. Its governing board is riddled with conflicts of interest, and reports to no one. This lack of accountability is dangerous for the Institute and dangerous for the research.

Our elected officials owe it to the people of California to ensure that their investment in this research is carried out responsibly.

For background, see Stem Cells and Public Policy, a booklet authored by the staff of the Center for Genetics and Society and published in June 2006 by The Century Foundation: http://tcf.org/bookstore/detail/stem-cells-and-public-policy

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The Center for Genetics and Society is a public interest organization advocating responsible societal governance of the new human biotechnologies. It supports human embryonic stem cell research and public funding for it, but has raised numerous concerns about the California stem cell research program and the conduct, oversight, and implications of stem cell research. For more information, see our website at www.genetics-and-society.org

Contact:
Parita Shah
510-625-0819 x312