To: Members of the Missouri General Assembly

From: Missouri Catholic Conference

Re: An Alternative Way Forward on MOSIRA (life science research)
“Trust But Verify”
Date: May 4, 2011
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The Missouri Catholic Conference has met with representatives

of the life science industry and lawmakers to develop an alternative
way for the Missouri General Assembly to move forward with the
funding of life science research projects while ensuring that any such
funding respects the interests of pro-life citizens of Missouri.

On the opposite side of this letter, you will find language that
representatives of the life science industry, the Missouri Family
Network, Campaign Life Missouri and the Missouri Catholic Conference
have agreed to for inclusion in legislation relating to the Missouri
Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA). We urge support
for including the attached language in the MOSIRA legislation.

This language would require the Missouri Technology Corporation

(MTC) to annually report to the Missouri General Assembly whether or
not any funds distributed by the MTC are funding embryonic stem cell
research or somatic cell nuclear transfer (human cloning). To the best
of the MCC’s knowledge, no such research is presently occurring with
the use of state funds; however, this reporting requirement will make
the facts known.

The proposed language will allow legislators to operate with facts

in hand, rather than on the basis of speculation or suspicion. This
language, coupled with another provision previously added by the
Missouri Senate making MOSIRA subject to appropriation, will allow the
Missouri General Assembly to cut off funds to the MTC if the MTC is
funding projects involving embryonic stem cell research or human
cloning. The MCC is confident that the Missouri General Assembly
would refuse to appropriate funds to the MTC if they discovered that
such unethical research was being funded with state dollars.

This public reporting requirement for the MTC complies with the
provisions of Amendment 2 to the Missouri Constitution narrowly
passed by voters in 2006; indeed, the language on the opposite side
actually references the reporting requirement already found in the
Missouri Constitution.

Up to now, it has been difficult to move forward with life science

legislation because previously proposed pro-life amendments would
likely have resulted in protracted litigation and could possibly be ruled
unconstitutional. At the same time, Missouri law reserves to the
Missouri General Assembly the right to appropriate funds as they see
fit. We believe it is better for the legislature, not the courts, to set
policy and control the use of state tax dollars on this issue.

During the debate on Amendment 2, the life science industry

assured Missouri citizens that they were not asking for or requiring any
state funds for embryonic stem cell or human cloning research. This
language would hold the industry to its word, but would also require
reporting to ensure that it stands by it. “TRUST BUT VERIFY” – This is
an alternative way forward on MOSIRA and other life science
legislation. We urge members of the Missouri General Assembly to
support the language presented here.

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Note: The bold print added to the end of subsection 15 of section

348.256 of the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act
(“MOSIRA”) would require the Missouri Technology Corporation to
report by January 1 of each year whether or not it has funded human
embryonic stem cell research as defined in and authorized by section
38(d) of article III of the Missouri Constitution (Amendment 2 approved
in 2006):

15. No later than the first day of January each year, the
corporation shall submit an annual report to the governor and to
the Missouri general assembly which the corporation may
contract with a third party to prepare and which shall include:
(1) A complete and detailed description of the operating
and financial conditions of the corporation during the prior fiscal
year;
(2) Complete and detailed information about the
distributions from the Missouri science and innovation
reinvestment fund and from any income of the corporation;
(3) Information about the growth of science and innovation
research and industry in the state;
(4) Information regarding financial or performance audits
performed in such year, including any recommendations with
reference to additional legislation or other action that may be
necessary to carry out the purposes of the corporation; and
(5) Whether or not the corporation made any
distribution during the prior fiscal year to a research
project or other project for which a report shall be filed
pursuant to subsection 4 of section 38(d) of article III of
the Constitution of the State of Missouri. If such a
distribution was made, the corporation shall disclose in
the annual report the amount of the distribution, the
recipient of the distribution, and the project description.