CGS-authored
California's groundbreaking $3 billion stem cell initiative was the brainchild of state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, who saw it as a way to circumvent the conservative politics behind federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.
The Sacramento Democrat suggested the creation of a voter initiative to ask taxpayers to fund research that has the potential to cure some of society's worst diseases. Experience and early polling showed her the state Legislature would never approve a tax increase to fund the research, but it seemed possible voters would embrace the idea.
But when Ortiz finally saw the initiative, which was written by politically savvy patient advocates, she saw gaps that troubled her. And since voters approved the measure in November 2004, she has been one of its most dogged critics.
Ortiz, who campaigned in favor of the initiative, said she did so on the theory that it would be best to get voters to endorse it and then worry about fine-tuning it.
Over the past 18 months, she has been an author or co-author of several pieces of legislation seeking to...
The Sacramento Democrat suggested the creation of a voter initiative to ask taxpayers to fund research that has the potential to cure some of society's worst diseases. Experience and early polling showed her the state Legislature would never approve a tax increase to fund the research, but it seemed possible voters would embrace the idea.
But when Ortiz finally saw the initiative, which was written by politically savvy patient advocates, she saw gaps that troubled her. And since voters approved the measure in November 2004, she has been one of its most dogged critics.
Ortiz, who campaigned in favor of the initiative, said she did so on the theory that it would be best to get voters to endorse it and then worry about fine-tuning it.
Over the past 18 months, she has been an author or co-author of several pieces of legislation seeking to...