Massachusetts Gov. Returns Stem Cell Bill to Legislature

As expected, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney rejected last week Senate Bill 2039, the bill supporting stem cell research. Exercising a power not enjoyed by all governors, Gov. Romney sent the measure back to the legislature with four amendments for consideration, rather than vetoing the measure.

According to a May 12, 2005 article in the Boston Globe, one amendment would prohibit somatic cell nuclear transfer, or therapeutic cloning, while the other three ask the legislature to reconsider the bill's position on when life begins, to clarify monetary compensation for women who donate eggs for research, and to define the circumstances appropriate for researchers to create human life. Gov. Romney also sent a letter to lawmakers stating the bill would change the definition of an unborn child that dates back to 1974, the article states.

The legislature, however, does not seem likely to adopt the governor's amendments as the bill was passed by a veto-proof margin. In a May 13 Boston Herald article, the chairman of the House Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee, Rep. Daniel Bosley, said the governor's proposed changes are political and predicted the bill will be back on the governor's desk quickly.

If lawmakers reject his amendments, Gov. Romney could either issue his threatened veto, which could be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature, or he could let the bill become law without his signature.

More information on S.B. 2039 is available at: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/st02/st02039.htm