LANSING – Proponents of changing Michigan law to permit all types of stem cell research are now attempting to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

Mark Burton, who was legislative counsel for the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association (now Michigan Association for Justice) before opening up his own consulting firm this year, is heading up the drive as its campaign manager.

The Stem Cell Research Ballot Question Committee, a 501(c)4, has been raising funds and building a coalition of supporters since October, Mr. Burton said. That is separate from the 501(c)3 Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research & Cures, which educates the public about this kind of research. While the two are separate, Mr. Burton said he is hoping supporters of the educational effort will also back a ballot drive.

The group has no specific timeline for getting the measure onto the ballot, Burton said Friday, but it is in the process of having petition language drafted and sent to the Board of State Canvassers by March 1.

While fundraising “is the most important effort of any of this,” Burton estimated the group will have to raise about $15 million, which is what former Speaker Rick Johnson has said publicly before. Johnson is a member of ballot drive board along with Dick Whitmer, father of Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) and former Blues chief, and former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz.

While a coalition to fight the ballot measure hasn’t been formed, Dave Maluchnik, spokesperson for the Michigan Catholic Conference, said they will dedicate all of their resources to defeating the measure.

“It’s unfortunate this group is dividing the state at a time we should be working together to promote ethical and proven research rather than that which clones and kills human embryos,” he said. “Every day we spend debating this radical change to Michigan law is a day that those who are suffering have to wait longer for treatments and cures (because attention will be diverted from adult stem cell research).”

Supporters of embryonic stem cell research argue the science should be given a chance and that the embryos used for research are from fertility clinics where they would have been discarded as medical waste.

The House Judiciary Committee has been considering legislation that would increase the penalties for human cloning while allowing researchers to use embryos created in Michigan, which the current law prohibits. The chair of that panel, Rep. Paul Condino (D-Southfield), has said he plans on taking a vote on the bills (HB 4616 , HB 4617 and HB 4618 ) soon.

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