Throughout the rest of the US stem-cell researchers are weighing up the costs (and funding issues) of another 4 years of Dubya. However, California has neatly sidestepped these issues by finding a way to supplant it's stem cell research initiatives with state funds. Cunning!
In the Golden State, stem cell researchers will see a windfall of $3 billion over the next 10 years, averaging about $300 million a year, thanks to the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. It shouldn't be difficult to entice the best minds in the country to move to a place where their work is fully supported by a state known for its mild climate.
Without wanting to get into the complexitiies of the ethical and legal debate surrounding this kind of research I'll be interested to discover the results this promising initiative produces. Whether we morally agree with stem-cell research or not it has the potential to have a major impact on the treatment of a wide range of illnesses, especially degenerative neurological conditions such as alzheimers and parkinsons.