May individual states pass laws to permit human embryonic stem cell research?
Individual states have the authority to pass laws to permit nuclear transfer and human embryonic stem cell research using state funds. Indeed, a number of states including California, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Connecticut have passed laws that encourage scientists in those states to derive new embryonic stem cell lines by providing state taxpayer money to fund research that is not currently funded by the federal government. In contrast, a few other states like Michigan and South Dakota have passed laws that make it illegal to derive human embryonic stem cell lines by destroying embryos or to perform nuclear transfer in human eggs. These states make it illegal to perform research that is legal under federal law, and that is being actively supported by a number of other states.
