FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2006

Contact: Alex Kopatic
713/743-2184 (office)
713/249-3669 (cell)
agkopati@central.uh.edu

Should stem cell research be allowed or outlawed in Texas?

The State Affairs Committee of the Texas House of Representatives will conduct an official hearing into this controversial subject at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 26 at the University of Houston. The State Affairs Committee is being hosted by the Health Law & Policy Institute at the UH Law Center. While the hearing is open to the public, testimony will be limited to invited participants only. A press briefing for the media will precede the hearing.

In the 79th Regular Legislative Session, the State Affairs Committee considered proposals by Rep. Phil King
(R- Weatherford) and Rep. Beverly Woolley (R-Houston) addressing whether Texas should support or oppose continuing research efforts involving stem cells.

“Testimony from this hearing will be used to try to develop consensus of a policy position for Texas. This hearing presents a great opportunity for our law students and the Houston community to witness the legislative process surrounding an important issue,” said Seth Chandler, co-director of the Health Law & Policy Institute.

The hearing, which is expected to conclude at 5 p.m., will take place in Krost Auditorium at the UH Law Center.

Committee members who are expected to attend include Rep. David Swinford, Chair (R-Dumas); Rep. Sid Miller (R-Stephenville); Rep. Martha Wong (R-Houston); Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana); and Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer (D- San Antonio). Also invited are Rep. Woolley (R-Houston) and Rep King (R-Weatherford).

NOTE: Committee Chair Rep. David Swinford will speak with news media at a 1:30 p.m. press briefing in the
            Frankel Room.

For more information about the Health Law & Policy Institute, visit http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.