Chamber instructs Henry to veto yet another pro-life bill
Money for research more important, chamber says
Gov. Brad Henry, under instructions from the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce, vetoed a bill to halt embryonic stem cell research in Oklahoma.
The bill had easily passed both the House and Senate and Henry’s veto was overridden in the House. Senate Democrats were able to stop the veto override even though the vote was 26-19 in favor of the bill.
Henry, a pro-abortion Southern Baptist, indicated that any possible money the state might lose from research was more important than saving the lives of the human embryos.
House Speaker Chris Benge said Henry vetoed House Bill 1326 “under the cloak of darkness” to prevent an immediate override attempt.
“Oklahoma is a pro-life state and its citizens are overwhelmingly opposed to research that would result in the death of an unborn child,” Benge said.
The State Senate passed a referendum Wednesday with bipartisan support that will send the stem cell research funding issue to a vote of the people.
House Joint Resolution 1035 by Senator Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, designates a source for funding stem cell research in Oklahoma. The resolution reads that 10 percent of earnings accrued to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund each year will be directed towards adult stem cell research.
“Because there is very little money being spent in Oklahoma for adult stem cell research, I am very hopeful that the citizens of Oklahoma will support the idea of jumpstarting our research in this area,” said Jolley.
“With some initial investment by the people without expending any state funds, the research community will be able to engage others to also invest in this highly successful area of research.”
State Senator Randy Brogdon called on the pro-life members of the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce to join with him in support of HB 1326, which outlaws embryonic stem cell research.
“It’s simple,” said Brogdon. “HB 1326 says that we won’t let Oklahoma businesses profit from the destruction of human life.”
Brogdon, a co-author of HB 1326, continued, “And it’s a travesty that the Oklahoma City and Tulsa chamber leadership are more concerned about profit than the protection of human life.”
“And I’m sure if the Pro-Life members of the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Chamber knew what HB 1326 entailed, they would not be happy knowing that their leadership was lobbying for Governor Henry to veto this bill,” said Brogdon.
“That’s why I am calling on the pro-life business owners of the Tulsa and Oklahoma City chambers of commerce to join with me in support of this bill and call on their leadership to halt their lobbying against this Pro-Life legislation,” said Brogdon.
The Oklahoma City and Tulsa chambers of commerce support for embryonic stem cell research, which requires the killing of human embryos, will damage Oklahoma’s reputation as a state that values life, state Rep. Pam Peterson said.
“The chambers’ support of embryonic stem cell research as an ‘economic growth’ tool is a shocking violation of the public trust and basic moral values,” said Peterson, R-Tulsa. “The chamber is effectively advocating the worst kind of discrimination based on age, size and place of residence.”
In the past week, both chambers have urged Gov. Brad Henry to veto legislation that would make embryonic stem cell research illegal in Oklahoma. Both groups argue the ban will hinder economic development, be an embarrassment for the state and make it hard to attract “researchers.”
“The idea that Oklahoma should condone the destruction of innocent human life in the name of ‘economic development’ is indefensible,” Peterson said. “Our law clearly states that human life begins at conception. Now the chambers are advocating the destruction of a legally recognized life in exchange for research dollars, saying the state should determine the best use of a person’s life for the state’s purposes. That’s a huge paradigm shift that runs contrary to the basic values of our nation.”
The ban was supported by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in both the state House and Senate.
Even as they have worked to outlaw embryonic stem cell research, state lawmakers have also voted to provide millions for adult stem cell research.
Unlike embryonic stem cell research, adult stem cell research does not require the destruction of human embryos.
Adult stem cell research also has a proven track record of results - there are more than 70 research treatments that use adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cell research has been plagued with failure.
“If the chambers were serious about economic development and growing Oklahoma’s biotech industries, they would only support research with a proven track record requiring no moral compromise - our adult stem cell plan,” Peterson said. “It’s clear that these organizations care more about catering favor from radical groups than improving our economy.”
As a result of the chambers ‘call for vetoing the embryonic stem cell ban, Peterson and other pro-life lawmakers did not attend a legislative event jointly hosted by the Oklahoma City and Tulsa chambers.
State lawmakers voted to prevent taxpayers from being forced to subsidize experiments that require the destruction of unborn children for research use.
An amendment filed by state Rep. Mike Reynolds (attached to Senate Bill 315) states that any entity involved in “research that destroys a human embryo or subjects a human embryo to substantial risk of injury or death” will “not be eligible for any Oklahoma income tax credits or incentive payments.”
“Oklahomans are pro-life and do not support research that would use unborn children as ‘research parts,’” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. “My legislation simply ensures that no working Oklahoman is forced to subsidize an activity that they find morally bankrupt.”
The legislation also bans state agencies from investing in any business entity that engages in embryo destruction.
With Reynolds’ language attached, Senate Bill 315 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 85-13 vote.
Several Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives expressed their support of Gov. Brad Henry’s veto of HB1326, which would ban using embryonic stem cells for research.
“I strongly support Gov. Henry’s veto, and I will be the first vote to sustain his veto,” said Rep. Ryan Kiesel, D-Seminole.
“No embryo would be used for research without express consent from the man and the woman whose donated cells created the embryo,” said Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa. “There are other established barriers that would limit how and when these embryos can be used.”
Though some argue that allowing this kind of research would take away life, Rep. McDaniel believes that argument requires false assumptions.
Republican state Rep. Doug Cox M.D. endorsed the governor’s veto of a bill banning embryonic stem cell research.
Cox admitted that no one has actually ever been helped by embryonic stem cell research but effective treatments have resulted from adult stem cells.