MINNEAPOLIS - Attorney General Mike Hatch said Sunday that he will propose spending $100 million of state money over 10 years on embryonic stem-cell research, if he is elected governor.
Hatch said at a news conference at the state Capitol that President Bush's recent veto of expanded federal funding for stem-cell research has created a void that states must fill.
The DFL-endorsed candidate for governor cited the promise of stem-cell research to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's campaign released a statement saying the governor supports research using "stem cells derived from adults or discarded umbilical cords" and using existing stem-cell lines derived from embryos that are no longer able to produce life.
It said federal authorization of additional stem cell lines for research should be limited because of the moral and ethical issues involved.
