Bartle’s bill in Missouri aims to throttle stem cell research

Sen. Matt Bartle, a Lee’s Summit Republican has sponsored a bill in the Mossouri legislature banning stem cell growth procedure.

Economically that would mean Stowers Institute would be forced to look elsewhere for an estimated $250-300 million expansion, backed by Stowers’ $2 billion endowment fund.

Universities, hospitals and other research companies in the region have either built or committed to a total of $1.1 billion in new lab and biotech manufacturing projects in recent years, and the life sciences construction expansion could go higher should Kansas City win the Stowers second-phase project.

“This research holds enormous potential for improving the health and quality of life for millions of people,” said Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes. “In addition, the economic development impact in our community will be immense if this invaluable research is allowed to continue.”

These gains could be fleeting, though, should the stem-cell research restrictions become law, said William P. Duncan, president of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.