January 18, 2007
Today we are winding down the second week of the 82nd General Assembly. Most of our time has been consumed with preliminary activities in committee meetings. Yesterday the first bill was assigned in the House Agriculture Committee. It was a bill providing for local control of the livestock industry. This is a very controversial subject, and I predict much discussion will take place before this session ends.
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day on the Hill. Veterans from across the entire state visited the Statehouse, visiting with their elected officials and touring the historic building.
We are currently working on several initiatives that will directly benefit Iowa’s veterans. Below is a description of some of those initiatives.
· Supplemental for Veteran Programs – Members of the Legislature are working to make sure the necessary funding is available to assist veterans through the Injured Veterans and the Guard and Reserve Home Buyers Program. Currently, those programs are about to run out of money, requiring additional funding.
· Assisting all Iowa National Guard and Reserve Injured Veterans – Members of the Legislature are having a bill drafted that would extend the injured veterans program to those service members that are part of an Iowa National Guard or reserve unit, regardless of their residency.
· Veterans License Plate Bill – Legislation is being promoted that would dedicate all of the extra fees paid for veterans license plates to the Veterans Trust Fund. In recent years, much of the additional license plate funding has been dedicated to specific funding sources that benefit different state and not-for-profit programs. This bill makes it consistent for all veterans’ license plate bills.
· Vietnam Veteran Bonus – A bi-partisan effort is underway to pass legislation that would provide Vietnam veterans the bonuses they deserve. The legislation would provide bonuses to those veterans that served from July 1, 1973 through May 31, 1975.
· Active Duty Pay Exemption – There is also legislation being drafted that would provide an income tax exemption for all of those individuals serving on active duty. This will provide financial assistance to those veterans that are bravely serving our country.
One issue that is going to bring much controversy this year is the question of whether or not to reverse the ban on embryonic stem cell research as it currently is in law in Iowa.
During the 2002 legislative session, one of the most contentious and complicated issues was a proposal to restrict stem cell research in the state. What emerged from the debate is Iowa Code Chapter 707B – the Human Embryo Research and Human Cloning Act.
Chapter 707B prohibits human cloning for any purpose, whether it be for reproductive or therapeutic cloning. A person performing or participating in cloning would be guilty of a class C felony, while transporting cloned embryos is an aggravated misdemeanor. The prohibition does not impact in vitro fertilization.
What is the difference between reproductive and therapeutic cloning?
Reproductive cloning, sometimes called human cloning, is done utilizing a process called “somatic cell nuclear transfer” (SNT). SNT involves the removal of the nucleus of an adult somatic cell (any cell other than a sperm or egg). The nucleus from the cell is then transferred to an egg cell from which the nucleus has been removed. Through proper stimulation, the cell develops into an embryo that can then be implanted into the uterus. A real life example of this is Dolly the sheep.
While there has been virtually unanimity in opposition to reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning has produced a very strong debate about the ethics of creating an embryo for the purpose of curing a disease in a living person. The initial debate over using embryonic stem cells came down to whether they are more easily adapted into other tissue than an adult stem cell (which comes from a live person).
The embryonic stem cells are obtained at the point of development before cells begin dividing into specific functions. Adult stem cells are obtained from specific parts of the body, but it believed that they can be “tricked” into transforming into the cell of a different organ or tissue.
Where the issue stands today
Politically, Governor Chet Culver campaigned on allowing stem cell research in Iowa and committing tax dollars to this effort. His proposed investment - $50 million – seems like a drop in the bucket when compared to other states that are committing billions of dollars for research and development. In Congress, the House of Representatives passed legislation to overturn the existing ban on federal funding for new stem cell lines. Senator Harkin and others promise to pass similar legislation in the U.S. Senate. But these proposals have not kept up with the scientific advances in the field.
Since Iowa’s law was passed, advances in the laboratory have begun to transform the issue. In the fall of 2006, scientific journals reported on a new method of obtaining embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo. Scientists had found a way to extract a stem cell from the embryo without adversely impacting the embryo. While some advocates dismissed this report, it was the first option developed for obtaining an embryonic stem cell without destroying the egg.
In the past week, another method of obtaining stem cells has been revealed. It is now possible to obtain stem cells from amniotic fluid. This discovery has the potential to produce thousands of stem cell lines without destroying any embryo. It also provides the chance that a family could choose to create a stem cell line for their child with the amniotic fluid. As with all this work, development is in the initial stages and the practical application of any stem cell research has yet to come to fruition.
My first forum of the year will be held Saturday Jan 27 at the Keokuk County Supervisor’s Board Room in Sigourney. Please come and share your ideas there!
Question of the Week…
Last year the state approved funding to provide assistance for Veteran’s to purchase homes. The fund is completely out of money and more requests are coming in. Do you support open-ended funding for these kinds of assistance programs for Veteran’s?
I would appreciate your input. My phone number at the Capitol is 515-281-3221, or e-mail me at betty.deboef@legis.state.ia.us. I would welcome visitors at the Capitol, too!