Aggregated News
Though the California Nurses Association officially favors embryonic stem cell research, the organization Thursday announced its opposition to Proposition 71, the ballot measure that would fund stem cell studies with a $3 billion bond issue.
Leaders of the group, representing about 58,000 registered nurses statewide, said they felt the measure could allow private drug companies to patent discoveries and benefit from the research at public expense.
They also said they feared women who voluntarily donated their eggs for research would not be properly informed of the medical risks.
"Rather than having patented medicine ... it should be an open source of information for all citizens of California," Deborah Burger, president of the CNA, said at a Sacramento news conference.
"As it is structured, very few people will be able to afford these technological or medical or biological advances."
Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the Yes on 71 campaign, said the initiative mirrors the way federally sponsored research is funded through the National Institutes of Health.
"The basic research is generally done in universities, research institutions, nonprofits, but as you move...
Leaders of the group, representing about 58,000 registered nurses statewide, said they felt the measure could allow private drug companies to patent discoveries and benefit from the research at public expense.
They also said they feared women who voluntarily donated their eggs for research would not be properly informed of the medical risks.
"Rather than having patented medicine ... it should be an open source of information for all citizens of California," Deborah Burger, president of the CNA, said at a Sacramento news conference.
"As it is structured, very few people will be able to afford these technological or medical or biological advances."
Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the Yes on 71 campaign, said the initiative mirrors the way federally sponsored research is funded through the National Institutes of Health.
"The basic research is generally done in universities, research institutions, nonprofits, but as you move...