By Frank Morris
Kansas City, Missouri – Embryonic stem cell research promises to be a controversial topic in the Missouri General Assembly this year. A Kansas City area legislator proposes to ban the research in Missouri. If that happens, the Stowers Institute promises to build its new quarter billion dollar expansion out of state, instead of in Kansas City, as originally planned. Meanwhile, California voters have authorized spending three billion dollars to encourage stem cell research, further dampening Kansas City's chances of establishing itself as a major center of biomedical research. The Bush Administration has severely limited stem cell research and cut funding for it. Dr. William F. May, a religious scholar and ethicist, served on the President's Council on Bioethics, but disagreed with the moratorium. KCUR's Frank Morris spoke with Dr. May, who says stem cell research should be permitted, but regulated consistently throughout the country.
