MAHC lobbying day set for March 7 at Capitol
JEFFERSON CITY – Missourians Against Human Cloning (MAHC) is sponsoring a lobby day March 7 at the Capitol with David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council.
“We’re happy to partner with Missourians Against Human Cloning on this important lobbying day,” said Rodney Albert, chairman of the Christian Life Commission of the Missouri Baptist Convention. “The embryonic stem cell research battle is still very much alive. We need to make sure this session that our representatives hear from us so that there is no funding for the biotech industry. That’s ultimately what this lobbying day is all about.
“We do not want taxpayer money funding embryonic stem cell research.”
A joint resolution that would ban somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), or embryonic stem cell research, is being sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis County, and would be a prime legislative accomplishment in 2007 for the MAHC coalition, which mustered 48.8 percent of the vote in a losing cause last November on Amendment 2.
The closeness of the November vote is motivating MAHC to try for a true ban on human cloning through the legislative process, which is a major focus of the March 7 event.
“We will continue to educate Missourians and work to protect our state, our daughters and our dollars from the detrimental effects of Amendment 2,” said MAHC Executive Director Jaci Winship.
Prentice will be joined by Catholic Archbishop Raymond L. Burke for the noon rally in the rotunda.
Hundreds of people are expected to participate in the event. Visits with lawmakers are encouraged from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so that the pro-life cause in terms of the human cloning issue can be advanced.