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Nebraska Family Council
1106 E Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-3511

Phone: 402-477-3191
Toll Free: 1-888-777-5188

Ban On All Human Cloning

Ban on All Human Cloning

In January of 2006, when the Nebraska Legislature convene's once again, a Ban on All Human Cloning will be on the schedule. We expect a debate on this issue to take place early in the 2006 session. We are asking individuals to keep this issue in prayer. We will publish information in 2006 when the Ban on All Human Cloning comes to the Legislative floor for debate. The following information is a reminder of how the debate on this issue progressed the last time it was on the floor of the Legislature.

In 2004 there was a disappointing vote in regard to a Ban on All Human Cloning. The Nebraska Legislature in a motion to invoke cloture (stop a filibuster) failed to do so by one vote, with four key pro-life senators refusing to vote.

Senator Adrian Smith of Gering introduced the bill to ban all Human Cloning, for reproductive and research purposes. Senator Arnie Stuthman of Columbus made LB 602 his priority bill, ensuring that it would come up for floor debate in the 2004 session.

Senator Smith had 35 co-sponsors on LB 602; meaning 35 senators signed on to the bill in support. After over 6 hours of debate on this bill Senator Smith asked for a vote to break the filibuster. It takes 33 votes to invoke cloture, break a filibuster and stop debate so a vote can be taken on the bill itself. Sadly, the opposition was able to peel away four of Senator Smith's co-sponsors on the bill. Thus we had only 32 Senators vote for cloture. If only one more Senator had voted for cloture we would have had the 33 votes needed to stop the filibuster and move the bill on.

The four pro-life senators who did not vote for cloture were: Senator Carroll Burling of District #33 (Hastings area); Senator Paul Hartnett of District #45 (Bellevue); Senator Vickie McDonald of District #41 (rural central Nebraska); Senator Mick Mines of District #18 (Blair).

It is a sad day in our country when we need to debate the morality of bringing about conception for the sole purpose of doing reasearch on an unborn child and taking its life. It is even sadder that we have such a difficult time passing a law to restrict this type of research.

We pray that when this issue return's to the Legislature in the 2006 session it will pass.