May 23, 2012

Walker dodges stem cell ban questions

Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker. (PHOTO: Andrew Beckett)

The Republican candidate for governor is avoiding questions on whether he’d pursue a ban on embryonic stem cell research.

A campaign attack ad from Democratic candidate for governor Tom Barrett claims Republican opponent Scott Walker wants to ban stem cell research in Wisconsin. Walker says the ad is an outright lie, since he fully supports continued research using adult stem cells. [Read more...]

Governor candidates stake out issues

Tom Barrett PHOTO: WRN

With Election Day less than a month away, the candidates for Wisconsin governor are crisscrossing the state and staking out their issues, but it’s not always easy for voters to keep up with who’s talking about what. In Madison on Thursday, Democrat Tom Barrett went after Republican Scott Walker on the issue of stem cells. “Scott Walker’s continued phony claim that embryonic stem cell research doesn’t matter, or that the same breakthroughs and discoveries can be achieved with adult stem cells,” Barrett said. “I believe it is the scientists who should be making this determination. Barrett said Walker’s support of adult stem cell research doesn’t mean he supports the sort of work being done at UW Madison. [Read more...]

Doyle vows to fight for stem cell research funds

Governor Doyle, UW Chancellor Biddy Martin, UW researchers -- including James Thomson, Stephen Duncan, and Tim Kamp -- stress the need for federal stem cell research grants. (Photo: Jackie Johnson)

The state joins national efforts to ensure that federal funding is available for stem cell researchers in Wisconsin, so says Governor Jim Doyle at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center; Governor Doyle says losing the millions of dollars in federal grants will be detrimental to Wisconsin’s biotech industry. He wants Congress to repeal the Dickey-Wicker amendment and he’s prepared to file a friend-of-the-court brief. “We will do it in conjunction with the University, and [Read more...]

Barrett says stem cell research needs support

A US District court ruling this week blocked federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, although the Justice Department is expected to appeal. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democratic candidate for governor, hopes the decision will be overturned.

If it that doesn’t happen, Barrett says he’d do everything in his power as governor to keep stem cell research going in Wisconsin. He says that includes looking at opportunities for the state to support the industry. [Read more...]

Barrett defends stem cell stance (AUDIO)

The Democratic candidate for governor is defending UW research using embryonic stem cells. There’s been groundbreaking work on Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, or IPS cells, derived from adult stem cells, at the University of Wisconsin. But Democrat Tom Barrett said Monday that doesn’t mean researchers should be restricted in use of embryonic stem cells. “It was only because of the advances in embryonic cell research that we’ve been able to reach the IPS,” Barrett told reporters during a tour of the Waisman Clinical BioManufacturing Facility on the Madison campus. “To have people tying the hands of the people doing the work here is wrong.” [Read more...]