Attorney General Lockyer Issues Statement on Court Ruling Upholding Constitutionality of Voter-Enacted Stem Cell Research Initiative

(SACRAMENTO) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer issued the following statement on today’s ruling by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Sabraw upholding the constitutionality of Proposition 71, the stem cell research initiative approved by voters in 2004. In the case, Lockyer represents the stem cell agency defendants, as well as the offices of the State Controller and State Treasurer.
“This is a significant legal victory in a crucial case for the people of this state. In passing Proposition 71, voters made a decision to put California in the vanguard of a scientific movement that holds tremendous promise for advancing public health. As this ruling resoundingly says, Proposition 71 is clearly constitutional. It's unfortunate that the plaintiffs, after losing at the polls, went to court to frustrate the voters' will. The sooner this legal fight is over, the sooner California can move to where the people want it: in the forefront of stem cell research.”