House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Amos Amerson today reneged, for a second time, on his commitment to allow a vote on Senate Bill 148.  This morning at 8:00 a.m., he called the meeting to order and then immediately adjourned it, refusing to recognize any of his committee members for a motion.

Had Chairman Amerson, who obviously opposes the bill, allowed a vote, it would have passed, 5 to 3.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that the bill is dead for the session.

I am disappointed but certainly have not given up.

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The House Science and Technology Committee heard mostly supportive testimony yesterday about Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act. Dr. Gerry Sotomayor, the founder of the Babies for Life Foundation, did an excellent job in testifying before the committee. The Georgia Nurses Association and Georgia Academy of Family Physicians have joined the long list of organizations supporting the bill.

Opponents of the bill, all supporters of embryo destructive research, made confusing and contradictory statements. In the face of probing questions by Representatives Chuck Martin and Hardy Davis, the bill’s opponents were forced to retreat from their initial claims that the findings of fact set out in the bill were “inaccurate.”

I was disappointed that Chairman Amos Amerson did not permit the committee to vote on the bill, but the Chairman has given me his word that he will allow an up-or-down vote on the bill this Thursday, April 12, at 8:00 a.m. I am confident that we have the votes to pass this bill out of committee.

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The House Science and Technology Committee will hear Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act, tomorrow, Monday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m.  Representative Tom Rice has agreed to carry the bill for me in the House.

The legislation continues to draw support from across political parties and ideologies.  Dustin Brookshire, who wrote about the bill a month ago at his left-of-center blog, just posted this very strong endorsement of the bill. 

The Morehouse School of Medicine also recently offered its support of the bill, joining the Medical Association of Georgia, Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology, Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association, American College of Pediatricians, Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Sickle Cell Anemia Association and Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia in backing Senate Bill 148.

For more information about the bill and my efforts to promote nondestructive stem cell research, visit Saving the Cure dot org.

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