Key opinion pieces, editorials, and news articles

By Center for Genetics and Society

Since the passage of Proposition 71 in 2004, media attention moved from the Proposition as a referendum on approval or opposition to embryonic stem cell research, to focusing on the laws details and the complexities of its implementation.

Opinion pieces

Editorials

News articles and extended analyses

Genetic Crossroads, the newsletter of the Center for Genetics and Society, usually features stories on the CIRM and Proposition 71

Opinion pieces

John Simpson, "Opinion: Stem-cell grants ought to hinge on public benefits," San Jose Mercury News (April 10, 2006)

John Simpson, "Taxpayers must benefit from stem-cell research," San Francisco Chronicle (March 27, 2006)

Jesse Reynolds, "State's stem-cell research needs independent oversight," San Jose Mercury News (February 10, 2006)

Jesse Reynolds, "Learning from stem cell stumbles," San Diego Union Tribune
(January 27, 2006)

Richard Hayes, "Hold scientists accountable," Baltimore Sun (January 17, 2006)

Stuart Leavenworth, " Stem cell program to suffer fallout from fraud," Sacramento Bee (December 29, 2005)

Stuart Leavenworth, "Stem cell royalty promise just election ruse?," Sacramento Bee (November 7, 2005)

Jerry Flanagan and Deborah Burger, "State needs return on investment in stem-cell studies," San Jose Mercury News (October 11, 2005)

Jesse Reynolds, "Stem Sellouts," TomPaine.com (July 19, 2005)

Steven Blackledge and Kathay Feng, "Oversight is critical for confidence in stem-cell research," San Francisco Chronicle (June 30, 2005)

Michael Hiltzik, "Stem Cell Agency on Errant Fast Track," Los Angeles Times (May 16, 2005)

Jesse Reynolds, "First test for stem-cell institute -- money: Funding mechanism must avoid conflict of interest," San Francisco Chronicle (May 15, 2005)

Chris Nolan, "Good Business Can Make for Bad Politics," eWeek (March 23, 2005)

Stan Katten, "Prop. 71: Boon or boondoggle?," Los Angeles Daily Breeze (January 28, 2005)

David Wessel, "Rich Guys With Causes Lack Accountability," Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2005)

Jesse Reynolds, "Stem-cell cronyism," San Francisco Bay Guardian (December 29, 2004)

State Senator Deborah Ortiz, "Public accountability is key to California's stem-cell research," San Francisco Chronicle (December 27, 2004)

Francine Coeytaux and Susan Berke Fogel, "The Stem Cell Chair to the Highest Bidder?," Los Angeles Times (December 17, 2004)

Chris Nolan, "Business and Politics Mix Badly in California," eWeek (December 9, 2004)

Editorials

The Sacramento Bee has published numerous editorials on the CIRM, many of which address topics entirely overlooked by traditional news stories. The Bee has compiled many of these onto one page. More recently have been these:

"Stem cell transparency, " Los Angeles Times (February 20, 2006)

"Promises to Keep ," Los Angeles Times (January 17, 2006)

"Stem-cell politics," San Francisco Chronicle (January 13, 2006)

"Science and Democracy," San Francisco Chronicle (November 13, 2005)

"Save the Stem Cells," The Daily Californian (October 4, 2005)

"Stem cell funding is venture capital," San Francisco Examiner (August 30, 2005)

"Stem-cell sunshine," San Francisco Chronicle, (June 13, 2005)

"Stem Cell Research Accountability," Los Angeles Times (May 26, 2005)

"Stem Cell Research Ethics," Los Angeles Times (May 9, 2005)

"Stop fighting curbs on favoritism," San Jose Mercury News (May 5, 2005)

"State Science," Washington Post (March 8, 2005)

"Stem cell panel must show accountability to the public," San Jose Mercury News (January 11, 2005)

"Stem-cell glitches," San Francisco Chronicle (January 5, 2005)

"Stem-Cell Reality Check," Wall Street Journal (December 27, 2004)

"Stem cell board must find way to hold open meetings," Oakland Tribune (December 21, 2004)

"State deserves a share of stem-cell benefits," San Francisco Chronicle (December 9, 2004)

"Proposition 71 needs reform," San Francisco Examiner (December 7, 2004)

News articles and extended analyses

Carolyn Marshall, "In End Run Around Legal Challenge, California Gives Out Stem Cell Research Grants," New York Times (April 11, 2006)

Paul Elias, "Stem cell agency's bid to get cash criticized," Associated Press (April 2, 2006)

Daniel Sarewitz, "Proposition 71: Vulgar Democracy in Action," Talk at the AAAS Annual Meeting (February 17, 2006) [PDF]

Terri Somers, "State's stem cell institute adopts 2 ethics policies," San Diego Union Tribune (February 11, 2006)

Jim Wasserman, "Stem cell profit rules urged," Sacramento Bee (January 24, 2006)

Coverage of CGS's The California Stem Cell Program at One Year: A Progress Report:

Andrew Pollack, "California's Stem Cell Program Is Hobbled but Staying the Course," New York Times (December 10, 2005)

Tali Woodward, "Scrambled eggs," San Francisco Bay Guardian (November 16, 2005)

Bernadette Tansey, "Tax law casts doubt on stem cell royalties: State may not reap billions promised to voters last fall," San Francisco Chronicle (October 25, 2005)

Ralph Brave, "Stem-cell wonderland / Will cures be affordable to all?," Sacramento News & Review (October 20, 2005)

Steve Johnson, "Who will benefit more, consumers or drug firms?" San Jose Mercury News (September 29, 2005)

Malcolm Maclachlan , "Stem cell’s shell game?," Capitol Weekly (September 22, 2005)

Malcolm Maclachlan, "Stem cell research: cutting-edge science or corporate subsidies, courtesy of voters?," Capitol Weekly (September 15, 2005)

Terri Somers, "Report finds stem cell windfall assumptions unreal," San Diego Union Tribune (August 25, 2005)

Ryan Blitstein, "Onward, Christian Lawyers," San Francisco Weekly (July 27, 2005)

Terri Somers, "Taxpayers unlikely to get quick stem cell windfall," San Diego Union Tribune (July 17, 2005)

Edie Lau, "Stem cell rule riles critics," Sacramento Bee (July 7, 2005)

David Hamilton, "California Stem-Cell Agency Gets Off to Inauspicious Start," The Wall Street Journal (July 5, 2005)

Peter Aldhous, "Stem-cell research: After the gold rush," Nature (April 7, 2005)

Terri Somers, "Stem cell panel facing allegations of conflict," San Diego Union Tribune (April 7, 2005)

Tali Woodward, "Celling out: The directors of stem cell institute have direct ties to biotech firms that stand to gain," San Francisco Bay Guardian (April 6, 2005)

Idan Ivri, "Cell Out: Management issues plague distribution of $3 billion in state stem cell research funds," Los Angeles City Beat (March 24, 2005)

Terri Somers, "Stem cell institute leader in the hot seat," San Diego Union Tribune (March 10, 2005)

Carl Hall, "New criticism for stem cell program: Public health expert calls for more public oversight, lower salaries," San Francisco Chronicle (February 18, 2005)

Carl Hall, "Bumpy start for stem cell program," San Francisco Chronicle (January 4, 2005)

Laura Mecoy, "Controversy embroils stem cell panel," Sacramento Bee (December 17, 2004)

Bernadette Tansey, "Prop. 71's fine print contains surprises: Tightly written law leaves little room for oversight or changes," San Francisco Chronicle (December 8, 2004)

John Broder, "California's New Stem-Cell Initiative Is Already Raising Concerns," The New York Times (November 27, 2004)

Denise Gellene, "Stem Cell Firms Bet on Big Payoff," Los Angeles Times (November 7, 2004)

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