Governor Scofflaw

Got a press release from State Senator Bill Brady on our governor's latest end run around democracy:

Sen. Bill Brady today criticized Gov. Rod Blagojevich for again ignoring the will of the Illinois General Assembly and deceiving the people of Illinois by unilaterally deciding to spend $5 million of taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research.

“The Governor once again has proven he has no respect for the legislative process, nor for the unborn,” said Brady, a Bloomington Republican. “This is more arrogance and more deceit from a governor who invites more distrust from the people of Illinois every day.”

Determining public policy and the use of taxpayer dollars should be the subject of open discussion and debate, not the will of one person.”

Like many legislators and many Illinoisans, Brady is morally opposed to the taking of innocent human life, including the destruction of human embryos. He emphasized he does not oppose public funding for research using adult stem cell lines, where the greatest scientific advances have been made, and has proposed legislation to promote research with adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood.

Earlier this year, Brady and his 26 Republican colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly announced their united opposition to public funding for embryonic stem cell research in a letter to Blagojevich. A proposal by the governor this spring to earmark $100 million for stem cell research was never called for a vote. Blagojevich nonetheless announced by press release Thursday he was using his executive powers to use an additional $5 million in state funds – from a spending line for administrative expenses – to promote embryonic stem cell research.

“Last year we saw the Governor surreptitiously slide $10 million into the state budget for a program to promote stem cell research, including human cloning and the use of human embryos, despite the clear intent and opposition of the General Assembly,” Brady said. “I believe his action was wrong then, both morally and governmentally. I believe it is wrong now, and it comes at a time when the state cannot pay the hundreds of millions of dollars it owes to hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other health care providers. If we can’t pay them, how can we afford this new spending?”

Brady said he will work to have his legislation which would prohibit the use of public funds for embryonic stem cell research called during the November session of the General Assembly. His legislation, Senate Bill 2344, was blocked by the Democrat-controlled Senate Rules Committee in the spring session.