From Cayce Kovacs updated 06/26/07 -
Federal Legislation and Issues - this information comes from the Parkinsons Action Network PAN who has an excellent website at www.parkinsonsaction.org:

Whether you are for or against embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), please contact your representative and let them know how you feel about this issue. They need to hear from their constituents and not just paid, professional lobbyists. We also need to contact them to be sure they understand the facts surrounding this issue.
The main factual misunderstanding on this issue is people think ESCR involves tissue from an aborted fetus. This is incorrect. ESCR, and the legislation that the groups I am involved with support, only promote the use of fertilized eggs that come from (IVF) In Vetro Fertilization clinics that are going to be discarded anyway and the parents have given consent (no financial incentive) for these excess embryos to be used for research. These embryos are less than 14 days existing in a petri dish and have never been implanted in a womb. These excess embryos are regarded as medical waste and will be discarded anyway. The parents also have the choice to give the embryos to someone else for adoption.
If you understand these facts and still have a moral or ethical problem with using these embryos for research, please know that AAPSG and I respect your opinion and still urge you to contact your legislators to share your opinion. This page is to share information to all and we mean no offense to anyone in favor or against.
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The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act passed both the House and the Senate but was vetoed
again by President Bush as he did last year. This Act would allow federal funds from the NIH to be used
on embryonic stem cell lines that have been created in the private sector. The stem cell lines that President Bush has restricted the use of federal funds to, have been found to be tainted and
not ideal condition for use in research.

If you need help finding out who your representative is, go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov or email cddkovacs@hctc.net or if you want more information on these issues.

TEXAS STATE LEGISLATION NEWS 06/26/07

None of the bills filed either supporting or against embryonic stem cell research passed through both
sides of the legislature this session. Therefore, Texas is still in a state of limbo on embryonic stem cell research. There are no laws to regulate the research and no laws making it illegal either. It will come up again in the next session in 2009.

If you would like to become more involved in various aspects related to legislation, please contact me
at cddkovacs@hctc.net.

Some excellent websites with information on these issues is www.TxAMR.org,
www.CAMR.org and www.parkinsonsaction.org.