TRENTON, February 11, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-life lobbying has resulted in a major victory in New Jersey where state legislation to allow embryonic stem cell research was withdrawn due to lack of support. The New Jersey Right to Life (NJRTL) was thrilled to hear that the bill, which allowed destructive research on embryonic humans and would have also allowed 'therapeutic' cloning, was withdrawn since it lacked the necessary votes for passage. The move marked a major defeat for Governor Jim McGreevey, who announced in his State of the State address just days ago that the bill was a top priority of his administration.

NJRTL Legislative Director Marie Tasy dubbed the legislation the "Clone and Kill" bill since it would allow the creation of human clones and their gestation up to the ninth month, but not beyond. "This legislation authorizes ghoulish research where cloned human beings would be harvested for use of their body parts in the embryonic and fetal stages of development," said Tasy. Tasy added the legislation was riddled with fatal defects and loopholes that would actually advance not ban reproductive cloning as it was purported to do.

Although pulled for now the bill can be reintroduced anytime. However, even the stalling of the bill was seen as a victory since the momentum of the Senate passage of the bill, the Governor's support, and testimony in favour of the bill from "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve, made the bill seem unstoppable. However, pro-life forces were aided in their efforts by a letter to Governor McGreevey signed by four members of the President's Council on Bioethics which pointed out the bills fatal flaws.

Dr. Dianne Irving, a professor at the Catholic University of America who holds a PhD. specializing in both bioethics and philosophy, testified against the New Jersey bill. She warned that the Canadian legislation is similarly flawed. "Precisely the same scientific errors and linguistic loopholes as made S1909/A2840 (the NJ bill) so dangerous are all throughout the Canadian legislation."

Irving warned "If C-13 passes, human cloning will certainly be allowed in Canada with all the horrors attendant to it".

See the letter by the members of the President's council on bioethics: 
http://www.nationalreview.com/document/document020303c.asp

See related LifeSite coverage: 
NEW JERSEY SENATE PASSES 'MAD SCIENCE' BILL ALLOWING HUMAN CLONING
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2002/dec/02121802.html