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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, December 11, 2005
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Governor Blutt Creates New Hispanic Business, Trade and Culture Commission
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), December 11, 2005 - Governor Matt Blunt has created a new Hispanic Business, Trade and Culture Commission, which better address the needs of the growing Hispanic business community in Missouri.
"I created the Hispanic Business, Trade and Culture Commission to ensure that our state is responding to issues impacting Hispanic businesses," Blunt said. "Businesses who identify themselves as Hispanic are a growing part of Missouri's business climate, and it is vital that they have a voice."
The commission will act as an advisory board to the Department of Economic Development's Office of International Trade and Investment regarding trade and investment issues important to the Hispanic business community in Missouri. The group will also serve as a clearing house on matters concerning the economic needs of Hispanic businesses, monitor legislative issues relevant to the Hispanic business community and recommend proposed legislation to the Department of Economic Development.
The commission will be responsible for submitting recommendations to the Office of International Trade and Investment and private entities concerning business development issues for Hispanic Missourians.
The group will be made up of citizen members and one ex-officio member from the Office of International Trade and Investment. The director of the Department of Economic Development will appoint the citizen members and designate the ex-officio member. The governor will select the chair and vice chair of the commission.
Commission members will include business owners, founding members of not-for-profit organizations and representatives for all of the defined economic regions in the state. No more than nine members can be from the same political party.
Christopher Reeve Foundation Endorses the Missouri Stem Cell Research And Cures Initiative
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire), December 11, 2005 - The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF), a national, non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for cures and treatments for spinal cord injuries and providing resources for people living with disabilities, has announced its endorsement of the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.
The Initiative, a voter referendum measure expected to appear on the November 2006 state ballot, protects the right of Missouri patients to be treated with any federally-approved stem cell cures. It also ensures that Missouri medical institutions can conduct stem cell research allowed under federal law, and it creates ethical and safety guidelines for stem cell research - including a strict ban on human cloning or any attempt to clone a human being.
"Stem cells have the potential to cure diseases and conditions ranging from spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, to diabetes and heart disease," said Michael Manganiello, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the Christopher Reeve Foundation. "Our national and state governments are supposed to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This initiative does just that by ensuring safe, ethical research in the state of Missouri and allowing citizens access to therapies derived from stem cell research."
Manganiello continued, "CRF has historically supported all forms of stem cell research and it is our hope that this Initiative will ultimately lead towards finding treatments, and ideally cures, for millions of Americans."
The Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative was developed in response to repeated attempts by some Missouri politicians to pass state legislation that would ban and criminalize stem cell research involving Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) - and prohibit Missouri patients from having access to future SCNT stem cell cures that are federally-approved for use in the United States.
SCNT is a new medical breakthrough that uses a patient's own cell and a donated, unfertilized human egg to create stem cells in a lab dish. These stem cells have the potential to turn into and regenerate any type of cell in the human body and will automatically match the patient's genetic make-up, thus avoiding the need for a genetic donor match.
The Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative will prevent the Missouri legislature from banning SCNT or any other type of stem cell research and cures allowed under federal law. It is the first state measure in the nation to clearly protect the right of patients to receive any stem cell cures allowed under federal law. It also ensures that Missouri medical institutions can provide and help find those cures. And, it resolves concerns that SCNT could be used to clone a human being by strictly banning human cloning or any attempt to clone a human being.
The initiative is sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, a broad-based coalition of concerned citizens and dozens of medical and patient organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (which represents more than 90 patient advocacy, disease and research organizations), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Parkinson's Action Network, Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Washington University in St. Louis.
Missouri Delegates Join Others to Help Shape Nation's Aging Policy
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), December 11, 2005 - Gov. Matt Blunt appointed four of Missouri's 19 delegates who were expected to attend the White House Conference on Aging this weekend. Among his appointees is Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. The lieutenant governor serves as Missouri's official senior advocate.
"I am extremely proud of all Missouri's delegates and honored they have agreed to represent our state. Their knowledge in the aging field and their compassion are unparalleled," Blunt said in an announcement. "They will promote dignity, health and economic security for American seniors now and for generations to come."
Earlier this month, Lt. Governor Kinder hosted a work session for Missouri's delegation at the State Capitol to review the proposals that will be presented at the Conference.
"As America's senior population grows, and as Baby Boomer's reach retirement age, issues of healthcare, financial security and personal independence confront us all," said Lt. Gov. Kinder. He added, "I'm honored to represent Gov. Blunt and Missouri at this important and historic conference. I am confident that the ideas shared at the Conference will sharpen our focus on the concerns of our seniors."
In addition to the governor's four appointees, members of Missouri's Congressional delegation selected 11 representatives and the White House Conference on Aging Policy Committee selected the remaining four. Twelve hundred delegates from all 50 states will make recommendations to President Bush and Congress to help guide national aging policies December 11 - 14, 2005, in Washington DC.
The first White House Conference on Aging occurred in 1961, sparked by shifting American demographics and a rapid increase in the number of elderly. That conference and subsequent ones in 1971, 1981 and 1995 contributed to the establishment of key aging programs like Medicare, the Older Americans Act, the Supplemental Security Income Program and the National Institute on Aging. The 2005 conference theme is, "The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action."
Each state's delegate numbers are based on a formula that includes, among other things, a state's percentage of individuals aged 55 and older. For instance, states with a small percentage of elderly will not have as many delegates as those with a high percentage. Missouri has a high percentage of those aged 60 and over, ranking 14th nationally, according to the 2000 Census. The names of Missouri's delegates follow.
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