by John S. Broom

   COLUMBUS – Christian and family groups across the state are rethinking their support for Ohio's plan for stem cell research, after last minute politicking erased a total ban on embryonic use.

   Until the final week of July, groups such as Christian Coalition of Ohio, Citizens for Community Values, Eagle Forum of Ohio, Ohio Right to Life, Center for Bioethical Reform, Center for Moral Clarity, and the Ohio Pro-Life Alliance were all squarely behind a plan to ban state bond money from being used for any embryonic stem cell research.

   But less than seven days before the August 2 House vote on a ballot issue spelling out how certain bond money can be spent, the entire plan changed.

   State Representative Mike Gilb (R-Findlay) said he was approached by Republican House Speaker John Husted and asked to back away from his planned amendment, which would ban using state bond money for any embryonic stem cell research.

   Husted told Gilb that Governor Bob Taft had another option, which would keep the ban out of the constitutional amendment.

   In a conference call to family and Christian groups July 29 and August 1, Gilb said Taft was offering a different plan, which he guaranteed would be passed through the state's House and Senate, and would not be vetoed by him.

   Under the plan, the House and Senate would approve allowing state funding (Third Frontier money) for research using “existing” embryonic stem cells, which is the plan currently in place federally, as approved by the Bush administration.

   The governor also said he would issue an executive order limiting the embryonic research until the legislation is approved. He would also ensure a ban on human cloning in Ohio, making it only the seventh state in the country to totally ban the controversial procedure.

   Gilb said the governor's plan promises guaranteed passage of each, whereas now there is seemingly little support in the legislature for an outright ban on embryonic research or cloning.

   Gilb said he was ready to make the proposal as an amendment August 2 forcing the stem cell language to be included on the ballot, but was not recognized by Husted when comments were asked for. “He looked over us. Three times I stood to be recognized and he looked us over and called for the vote.”

   He said after the vote, he was met by Lt. Governor Bruce Johnson who said the governor's office would begin working on the executive order and the legislation.

   In a press release issued August 1, Gilb said he recognized the changes were made to make a final solution that appeals to everyone, and likened it to selling a house. First the price is negotiated, then the terms and conditions of the sale.

   “I have received assurance from leadership that the Governor will agree to a solution which adopts the entire Bush-doctrine for stem cell research and human cloning,” he said.

   During the two conference calls, most of the Christian and family groups were less than enthusiastic about supporting the new plan.

   Chris Long, with Christian Coalition of Ohio, said “There is no room for negotiation. We are uncomfortable negotiating human life.”

   Barry Sheets, with Citizens for Community Values, said “the fundamental issue is that we are destroying human life.” He added that the new proposal is forcing pro-life groups to make an ethical decision on which embryos are destroyed, and which ones are not. “Our group is not going to go there.”

   Mike Herrington, with the Center for Bioethical Reform, agreed that “bargaining with human life” is unacceptable, and said talk of a compromise “sounds like we've lost the battle and are negotiating the terms of surrender.”

   But Mark Lally, with Ohio Right to Life, said accepting the governor's proposal gets Ohio a ban on cloning, which is in essence a death sentence for embryonic research in Ohio.

   “This makes Ohio one of the least attractive states to come in for embryonic stem cell research.”

   He said accepting the governor's plan limits funding for research to the Bush plan, which may be harder to do in the future should the political climate of the state change.

   The question was also raised if the promises of Taft and Husted could be trusted, in light of the fact that Taft had already used a line-item veto to remove a ban on stem cell research, when he signed the $51 million budget for Ohio in June.

   In using the line-item veto to remove the restrictions June 30, Taft said they were stronger than the federal plan and Ohio's current plan, which “protects life by limiting publicly funded research to the use of only those embryonic stem cell lines that existed at the time the President determined federal policy.”

   Sheets said he doesn't trust Taft, and is concerned the legislative and executive leadership could conveniently sweep their promises aside.

   Long said, “We can't trust these people. They have been trying to work our groups against each other.”

   State Representative Linda Reidelbach (R-Columbus), who has a bill banning human cloning stuck at the committee level, said, “It's like being invited to dinner with cannibals.”

   Gilb said personally he is opposed to using human embryonic stem cells for research, but politically it is good to get a limit to only using existing stem cell lines in place.

   He added that he will continue to fight for a total ban on embryonic stem cells, via legislation. “I intend to make the argument that the Bush standard is the minimum we will accept.”

   Within minutes of the August 2 81-7 approval of the ballot issue on bond money, Taft's office announced it was working on an executive order limiting stem cell research to what is allowed by federal policy.

   The ballot issue now must be approved by the Senate and signed by Taft before it reaches the ballot, possibly in November.