January 31, 2007
ISSUE/BACKGROUND:
The following was released today:
The Florida Catholic Conference supports the
dignity of human life from conception to natural death, and this
directs our approach to public policy.
“We are most
grateful to Representative Anitere Flores for her leadership in
sponsoring legislation that establishes an ethical framework for
research in Florida, and we are very encouraged that Governor
Crist is supporting her bill,” said Michael Sheedy, Associate
Director for Health at the Florida Catholic Conference.
Her proposal and that suggested by Governor Crist enshrines a
policy in Florida law that will preclude funding for any further
destruction of human embryos.
“Including
the provision to fund research utilizing the federally-approved
lines in existence in August 2001 is an imperfect approach,
because it relies on the previous destruction of defenseless
human embryos. However, we will not object to it, since it
precludes funding for future destruction of human embryos,”
Sheedy added.
The Florida
Catholic Conference appreciates the approach Governor Crist and
Representative Flores are taking on this issue.
Click
here
for more information on the Catholic Conference's
position and the science of stem cell research, including a
brief
video.
