Stem-cell opponents to continue seeking restrictions in Missouri

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Supporters of a groundbreaking constitutional amendment protecting stem-cell research in Missouri hoped for a mandate from Tuesday's narrow victory. Instead, they could be facing a backlash.

Despite being outspent by nearly $27 million in an effort that had backing from the state's Republican governor and its business leaders, opponents of the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative took solace Wednesday in a defeat by fewer than 47,000 votes out of a total of nearly 2.1 million cast.

"The battle has only begun," said state Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, who for the past several years has unsuccessfully sponsored efforts to outlaw a form of embryonic stem-cell research known as therapeutic cloning.

"They sought certainty and finality, and the result of last night is anything but finality," he said, referring to amendment supporters. "It's blown up in their faces."

The amendment guarantees that any federally allowed stem-cell research and treatments can occur in Missouri, including research using human embryos. With such research already occurring in the state, the amendment's significance is largely symbolic.

Bartle said he "absolutely" plans to continue his legislative efforts when lawmakers return to Jefferson City for the annual legislative session in January.

He also suggested the House and Senate, both of which remain under Republican control after modest gains by Democrats on Tuesday, could choose to offer Missouri voters another chance to amend the state constitution.

The Tuesday ballot question -- the only election measure in the country to directly address the frequent campaign topic of stem cell research -- was put before voters after supporters collected nearly 300,000 signatures.

Jaci Winship, executive director of Missourians Against Human Cloning, said the group will remain intact as it develops a postelection strategy.

"We need to regroup," she told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "There are a lot of options. The issues don't change. The things that are wrong with this amendment are still wrong."

Amendment opponents relied on a grass-roots effort led by appeals from the pulpit and anti-abortion activists.

Their message: Despite the vast promise of embryonic stem cell research, the destruction of a human embryo, like abortion, is an assault on a human life.

They also cited what they called deceptive ballot language that purported to ban human cloning while actually allowing therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer. The five-page amendment mentions somatic cell transfer but does not refer to it as a form of cloning.

The technique involves replacing the nucleus of an unfertilized human egg with the nucleus from a skin or nerve cell. The altered egg then is stimulated to grow in a lab dish, with researchers removing the resulting stem cells, sacrificing the donor embryo in the process.

The amendment's defeat in Missouri's rural reaches was offset by heavy support in St. Louis, Kansas City and those two cities' suburbs.

In the city of St. Louis, amendment supporters outnumbered opponents by about 31,000. In St. Louis County, the margin of victory was 55,000.

And in Jackson County, which encompasses much of Kansas City, the margin of victory nearly reached 48,000, with 99.2 percent of precincts reporting results.

Even while celebrating a victory that wasn't declared until nearly early Wednesday morning, amendment supporters anticipated further political fights.

"We've been fighting this battle in the Legislature for five years. Now we will have different battles to fight in the Legislature," said Donn Rubin, chairman of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, a group of university and business leaders, scientists and patient advocates who supported the amendment.

Rubin said the election results suggest a desire by Missourians to forge ahead with the still-uncharted promise of embryonic stem cell research.

"It's just time for people to come together and find common ground," he said.

Amendment opponents, though, had anything but unity on their minds. The stem cell ballot victory may very well come with a price.

"They have chosen to battle a highly motivated pro-life community in the state of Missouri that is used to long, protracted battles," Bartle said.

Added Winship: "Basically, this amendment has divided the state in half."

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Associated Press Writer Betsy Taylor contributed to this report.