¦ April 8, 2007
Important Issue for Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation To be Addressed
Contact your Senator!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kaaveh Akbari
Mobile: (317) 727-6957
Email: [email protected]

IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR SAM SCHMIDT PARALYSIS FOUNDATION TO BE ADDRESSED
Note: The following is an excerpt from the S5 Action Alert distributed by “Americans for Cures.” Their website can be found at www.americansforcures.org.

This coming Monday, April 10, Senators in Washington will debate Senate Bill Five (S5), the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. Now is the time to act and we must act quickly.

We believe that we have 66 "yes" votes ~ One more and we will have enough to override the expected veto of President Bush. If we can get 67 votes, it will put enormous pressure on those in the House who might oppose the research. We have identified five Senators who might be willing to change their positions to "Yes", but two of them stand out - Senator Casey of Pennsylvania and Senator Sununu of New Hampshire.
(To find out how your Senators voted on last year's version of this bill, visit the U.S. Senate Legislation & Records website.)

For all of us, getting the 67th "yes" vote is our top priority.
Please take the time to read a policy paper prepared by Robert Klein, Chairman of Proposition 71, and David Bluestone, the Public Policy Director of Americans for Stem Cell Therapies and Cures. The policy paper discusses the important role that San Francisco has played in promoting medical research as well as supporting the mission of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This organization was personally asked by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to author this paper for the Mayor's re-election website, www.ActLocallySF.org. The website is meant to be a forum for debate and discussion of policy topics. Mayor Newsom does not endorse the positions set forth in the policy paper, and in the words of the website itself, "Articles are posted for the purpose of generating ideas and honest debate on how San Francisco can live up to its full promise and potential". (The policy paper can be accessed on the Act Locally SF website.)

Many cities have created environments that are supportive of stem cell research and the business that can support it. We hope to write more papers about the unique contributions that cities in our Golden State have made to advance this life-saving research.
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For more information about this topic, please call Ida Cahill at (317) 236-9999 or email at [email protected].