State Rep. Rory Ellinger's guest commentary in the Dec. 8 Post-Dispatch omitted important information about Missouri Right to Life's position and legal challenge of the Missouri Science Innovation and Reinvestment Act.

MOSIRA sets up a fund to be administered by the Missouri Technology Corp. and channeled through the state budget to provide state money and/or tax incentives for new technology businesses, including those engaged in human life sciences research. MOSIRA also places the Life Science Research Trust Fund, established in 2003 as the vehicle to receive and administer the funds received from the Tobacco Settlement Money, under the control of the MTC.

Missouri Right to Life, Missouri Roundtable for Life, Eagle Forum, Concerned Women for America and the Missouri Catholic Conference supported a one-sentence amendment to MOSIRA: "Public funds shall not be expended, paid, or granted to or on behalf of an existing or proposed research project that involves abortion services, human cloning, or prohibited human research as defined in section 196.1127."

While this language already exists in Missouri statutes, the language may not apply to the new stream of funding provided by MOSIRA. There's no evidence that this language is unconstitutional; it was reviewed and left intact in 2009 by then-Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan regarding another case, and there has been no challenge of its constitutionality.

Ellinger's comment that human cloning and embryonic stem cell research already are forbidden by Missouri law is incorrect. The Missouri Constitution does not prevent human cloning or embryonic stem cell research. The unscientific and inaccurate definition of cloning in Art. III, Sec. 38(d).6.1 defines cloning as implanting a (cloned) embryo for the purpose of "initiating a pregnancy" or "the birth of a human being." So the Missouri Constitution allows human cloning as long as those cloned embryos are destroyed prior to birth. Embryonic stem cell research is specifically allowed by Art. III, Sec. 38(d).

The amendment supported by Missouri Right to Life received bipartisan support and was only narrowly defeated in the special session. Ironically, many legislators who said that MOSIRA was not intended to fund cloning or experimentation on human embryos opposed language that would specifically prevent it.

Ellinger, D-University City, praised House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, for his personal involvement in the passage of MOSIRA. Speaker Tilley indeed has been a leading opponent of the pro-life amendment to MOSIRA and in support of unrestricted experimentation on human embryos. He has advocated openly for such experimentation and been very generously supported by the pro-cloning political action committees. In addition to the more than $200,000 in donations he received from those PACs before this legislative session, he received $50,000 from the Life Science Fund of Greater Kansas City and the Supporters of Health Research and Treatment shortly after the passage of MOSIRA.

Missouri Right to Life, Missouri Roundtable for Life and citizens of Missouri have asked the courts to prevent the enactment of MOSIRA based on the clear language in Senate Bill 7 that ties its enactment to the passage of Senate Bill 8 during the special session. It says: "... this act relating to science and innovation shall not become effective except upon the passage and approval by signature of the governor only of Senate Bill no. 8 relating to taxation and enacted during the first extraordinary session of first regular session of the ninety-sixth general assembly."

Because SB 8 — the China hub bill — did not pass during the special session, it is our position that SB 7, enacting MOSIRA, is null. When the governor signed MOSIRA, he announced his intention to ignore this language.

If the court upholds this clear and specific language and nullifies SB 7, we have no doubt that the Missouri Legislature will take up MOSIRA again. We also have no doubt that the pro-cloning lobbyists will be on the attack against the protective language promoted by Missouri Right to Life, and they will be supported by many people in leadership positions in both parties.

We look forward to working again with the pro-life Democrats and Republicans who took a courageous stand for life and who seek to represent the majority of Missouri taxpayers in opposing public funding for life-destroying research.

Pam Fichter of St. Louis County is president of Missouri Right to Life.