Science and Technology Related Election Results

November 5th, 2008

Posted by: admin

Yes, I have the election on the brain, in part because I spent most of Monday night and all of Tuesday as a poll worker in Maryland.  While ScienceBlogs appears to think that the presidential results were a vote for science (whatever that means), there were many other races and referendums voted on yesterday.  I’ve not yet drilled down through all of the state races, but I have noticed a stem cell research resolution was narrowly approved in Michigan yesterday.  Per this Associated Press article, the measure allows for stem cell research to be conducted on embryos created for fertility treatments but donated for research purposes.  The current stem cell research policy allows such research only on those stem cell lines created in other states.

Presumably part of the intended purpose of this initiative is to circumvent both current state policy and federal policy, which limits federal support to those lines already existing at the time the policy was initiated in 2001.  At least seven other states have established state stem cell research institutes, and perhaps Michigan will follow suit.

I will keep looking for other science and technology related measures approved (or rejected) in this recent election, but readers should feel free to post any examples from this election in the comments.

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