A California state appeals court has ruled that a $3 billion bond program to support embryonic stem cell research is legal. If the state's Supreme Court declines to hear an appeal, backers say that the state could start issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in new grants. The appeals court supported a lower court decision that the bond program did not violate state rules on spending, elections or conflicts of interest.
The ruling is a major victory for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which had initially languished after opponents of the bill filed suit against the $3 billion program. But the program was recently given a kick-start by public loans and private donations. California's lead also helped inspire public investments in stem cell research in New Jersey and other states. And the state's ambitious initiative has helped focus far more attention on state support for biomedical research in other fields as well.
- read the article on the ruling from The New York Times