Will Ohio Allow Animal-Human Hybrids?

Family Research Council Senior Fellow for Life Sciences David Prentice testified Wednesday before the Ohio House of Representatives' Health and Aging Committee in support of H.B. 308, a bill that would ban human cloning and the creation of animal-human hybrids in Ohio.

Prentice has previously testified in support of the bill and assisted Ohio pro-life groups and legislators in their efforts to enact the legislation.

During his testimony, Prentice said, "While some misleadingly claim that cloning or animal-human hybrids are necessary to manufacture embryos for stem cell research, nothing could be further from the truth. ... There have also been fraudulent claims that patients who might theoretically receive injections of stem cells from their clones, created and destroyed outside of the state of Ohio, would be at risk of arrest upon entering the state of Ohio if H.B. 308 passes.

"This interpretation is based on a naive or willful misreading of the bill. Cells incorporated into a patient's body would not be covered by the bill, just as any person who eats a hamburger would not be arrested at the state line for transporting hazardous meat that might contain mad cow disease.

"In the U.S., the federal government prohibits any federal taxpayer funding for creation of human embryos for research, including cloned embryos, or for destruction of human embryos. In addition, eight states ban human cloning for any purpose, with other states considering similar legislation. Internationally, many countries have moved to ban all human cloning, including countries such as France, Germany, Canada, and in March 2005 even the United Nations passed a declaration against all human cloning.

"There are no valid or compelling grounds—ethical, scientific or medical—to allow cloning of human embryos for any purpose, nor for production of animal-human hybrids. H.B. 308 provides common sense restrictions on human cloning and animal-human hybrids in Ohio and would prohibit these abuses without limiting any valid medical research. I encourage you to pass this bill."  Charisma