Where We Live: The Stem Cell Debate

Last week a federal district judge blocked President Obama’s 2009 executive order that expanded embryonic stem cell research.

Judge Royce Lamberth said the executive order violated a ban on federal money being used to destroy embryos.  This ruling came as a surprise to scientists around the nation, including here in Connecticut, where $100 million has been committed to stem cell research over 10 years.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he’ll fight to reverse this ruling, which temporarily holds up $54 million in research nationally. 

Today Where We Live, we’ll talk to a panel of researchers from across the state about what this might mean for a growing field of research in Connecticut.

And, we’ll hear from an economist who makes the case that this industry is a key for jobs in the state.