By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – For the second time in two months, a Cole County judge has rejected a lawsuit from critics of embryonic stem cell research seeking to block state funding of life science grants.
Missouri Roundtable for Life was seeking to bar the Life Sciences Research Trust Fund from transferring $21 million to the Life Sciences Research Board.
The group claims that a constitutional amendment passed in 2006 allows for embryonic stem cell research, despite a 2003 law banning funding for such use.
As a result, the plaintiffs argued that the trust fund's legal right to exist is jeopardized.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster disagrees.
"The Life Sciences Research Board can use this ($21 million) to fund things like plant sciences, animal sciences, and many other life sciences-related strategies on a continuous basis," Koster said.
Judge Richard Callahan also disagreed with the plaintiff's arguments and ruled again that there is no conflict.
Steve Clark, attorney for Missouri Roundtable for Life, says they will appeal.
"We believe that this ruling, if upheld, would drastically reduce the legislature's ability to impose restrictions on the use of state funds in the future, whether it's for abortions or for anything else that the legislature deems state funds should not be used on," Clark said.