By Liz Townsend

Michigan officials have approved a November ballot initiative that would expand embryonic stem cell research in the state and allow for the future approval of human cloning. The state Board of State Canvassers certified August 21 that embryonic research supporters had gathered enough signatures to place the proposal on the ballot, according to the Detroit Free Press.

"Proposal 2, which would amend the state Constitution, contains many significant flaws and removes the Michigan Legislature from any authority over this growing unregulated industry," Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop (R-Rochester) said in a press release. "Proposal 2 goes too far and poses too many consequences, including opening the door to human cloning and closing the door for future legislative oversight."

Sen. Bishop's statement was released by Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation (MiCAUSE), a coalition of legislators, pro-life and religious groups, and others formed to oppose the embryonic stem cell research initiative. NRLC affiliate Right to Life of Michigan is one of the coalition's members.

MiCAUSE warns that the initiative, which will be Proposal 2 on the ballot, includes wording that would allow the legislature to expand embryonic stem cell research even more in the future. According to the ballot language, the proposed constitutional amendment would "Prohibit state and local laws that prevent, restrict or discourage stem cell research, future therapies and cures."

"So in other words, if a state or local law restricts the research, scientists can ignore the law," MiCAUSE explains on its web site (www.micause.com). "Adding this language to the State Constitution would allow unrestricted research on live human embryos and no state or local law could change that."

The University of Michigan is already conducting experiments on existing human embryonic stem cell lines, according to the Grand Rapids Press. If passed, the new proposal would allow these researchers and others in the state to harvest stem cells from many more embryos "left over" after fertility treatments.

In addition, the initiative states that "no stem cells" may be taken from human embryos more than 14 days after cell division begins. This specific language leaves a large loophole that could lead to experimentation on older embryos. "If the proposal's organizers didn't want human embryos killed or researched on after 14 days, the language could have clearly said so," MiCAUSE stated on its web site. "Instead this language would allow for research on and the killing of human embryos older than 14 days as long as researchers don't remove stem cells."

A combined total of $20 million is expected to be spent by supporters and opponents of Proposal 2 before November, the Detroit News reported. MiCAUSE and its coalition have vowed to educate Michigan residents on the true consequences of the initiative.

"As a cancer patient and former head of a nonprofit healthcare organization, I'm concerned about the false promises made by promoters of this proposal," MiCAUSE co-chair Patricia A. McDonald said in a statement. "This proposal is deliberately deceptive in its language and I would strongly urge a no vote."