Finally, the state can fund stem cell research. The California Supreme Court sent an important message Wednesday by declining to even hear a final appeal against Proposition 71.
Opponents of the proposition, which allocated $3 billion in funding for stem cell research in the state, appealed it all the way up the court system. But the California Supreme Court, the first court that can choose not to even hear the case, has done just that.
And in choosing not to hear the case, the court has sent a clear message: This case doesn’t belong here.
The proposition, which would send $3.75 million to the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, was passed by California voters by a margin of almost 20 percent.
And, as a majority vote, it should be respected, even if opponents disagree with it.
Those who appealed the law have repeatedly stated their moral opposition to embryonic stem cell research.
“I don’t think people realize that basically what’s happening is fetal farming. You’re creating life to experiment with it and ultimately destroy it,” Dana Cody, executive director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times last week.
However, they have repeatedly been unable to conjure any convincing legal arguments against the proposition.
This is evident from the fact that every court that has seen this case has rejected it.
When opponents of Proposition 71 saw the results of the statewide vote, they filed a lawsuit to stop the distribution of funds because they disagreed with the outcome of the vote.
But by taking this action, they effectively exploited the California legal system. This is simply the wrong way for opponents to fight a proposition passed by a majority of Californians.
There is another proposition that faced a similar situation, but its opponents were smart enough to tackle it the right way.
Proposition 209, which ended the use of affirmative action in hiring and admissions in California institutions and universities, was passed by a majority of California voters in 1995.
Since then, opponents have campaigned to change public opinion of Proposition 209.
UCLA has mostly seen a trend of declining minority students since the proposition prohibited the use of affirmative action.
In short, opponents of Proposition 209 have focused their efforts on convincing Californians of their views, rather than fighting pointless court battles.
They are not forcing their views on Californians.
They are trying to change the minds of Californians.
With Proposition 71, voters should be respected, and opponents should not be allowed to affect state policy through questionable legal methods.
It is encouraging to see that opponents of Proposition 71 are not being allowed to do so.
Furthermore, the California Supreme Court’s decision to reject even hearing the appeal represents a victory for California voters.
This minority group has stood in the way of progress long enough.
Californians want to lead the way in stem cell research, and it is irresponsible for opponents to tie up the funding in legal tangles.