WE NEED YOUR HELP!  PLEASE MAKE CALLS!  THEY WORK!
 
If you want to read more about the “Saving the Cure Act” go to www.savingthecure.com.
 
Senate Bill 148, the “Saving the Cure Act,” was introduced by Senator David Shafer (R-Duluth) and 29 other members of the State Senate on February 13, 2007. Subtitled “Keone’s Law,” the bill is named in honor of Keone Penn, a young man from Gwinnett County who in 1998 was cured of sickle cell anemia by an umbilical cord stem cell treatment.
 
Stem cells from umbilical cord blood and other postnatal tissues can be used for medical research or treatment without destroying human life at any stage of development.
 
Senate Bill 148 sets up the Georgia Commission to Save the Cure to encourage umbilical cord blood donation. The bill encourages ethical research using stem cells from these non-controversial sources. Its objective is to make Georgia a leader in nondestructive stem cell research — the type of stem cell research that is delivering cures without ethical controversy.
 
The bill passed overwhelmingly out of the Senate and is now in the House Science & Technology Committee.  Please call the following legislators and ask them to pass SB 148 out of committee intact without amendments. 
 
It is especially effective if one of these is your legislator, but calls going to all are a good thing too.  As Chairman, Rep. Amos Amerson has a great deal of influence in what comes out of his committee and what doesn’t, we would like everyone to call his office.
 
Amos Amerson (R-Dahlonega), Chairman
House Science and Technology Committee
401 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia  30334
404-657-8443
 
Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta), Vice Chairman
404-463-2247
 
Robert Mumford (R-Conyers), Secretary
404-656-0254
 
David Casas (R-Lilburn)
404-656-0254
 
Rev. Hardie Davis (D-Gracewood)
404-656-0325
 
Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville)
404-656-0152
 
Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta)
404-656-0116
 
Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur)
404-656-0265
 
Barbara Reece (D-Menlo)
404-656-7859

To find the name of your state representative, use this poll locator from the Secretary of State's website:
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/locator.asp

Sadie Fields