If all big trends start in California, as many say, I'm hoping that we're seeing just that in the field of new funding for biomedical research. Mired as it is in the courts, other states are still following California's lead in offering significant funds to advance medical science. Most recently, Texas (see below) has jumped into the game, promising to come up with $3 billion over 10 years to support cancer research. It's a smart move. The state already has a significant concentration of specialists in the field at the M.D. Anderson center and state officials are avoiding any legal woes in sticking to oncology--as 'safe' a research field as you can find, politically. New York is proposing its own bold move here. This kind of research offers to spawn not only great research, but new clusters of biotech companies who take the work and advance it in the marketplace. There are big wins for everyone, and a clear model for other states to adopt as well. - John Carroll