No. 1 Read: A 'Deep Dive' Into the Sweeping Changes Made in California's $12 Billion Stem Cell Program

Capitol Weekly's Twitter item on its most
read story of 2020

Capitol Weekly, the respected online news service devoted to state government and politics, this week reported that its most-read story of the year is an article headlined "Proposition 14: There’s much, much more than meets the eye."

The piece was written by yours truly and dealt with the successful ballot initiative that saved the state stem cell agency from financial oblivion with a $5.5 billion infusion of borrowed money. 

The 17,000-word measure, however, also involved a sweeping expansion of the scope of the agency and made a host of consequential changes. The freelance piece began: 

"Proposition 14, the fall ballot measure to save California’s stem cell agency from financial extinction, contains much, much more than the $5.5 billion that it is seeking from the state’s voters.

"Added to the agency’s charter would be research involving mental health, 'therapy delivery,' personalized medicine and 'aging as a pathology.' That is not to mention a greater emphasis on supporting 'vital research opportunities' that are not stem cell-related.

"The measure would enlarge the board from 29 to 35 members. Even at 29, the board has been much criticized for its large size, which creates more possibilities for conflicts of interest, a long-standing issue for the agency.

"Proposition 14 would ban royalties generated by state-backed stem cell inventions from being used for such things as prisons and schools, isolating the funds from tinkering by lawmakers."

The Aug. 31 article was drawn from my new book, "California's Great Stem Cell Experiment: Inside a $3 Billion Search for Stem Cell Cures."  The book is a product of 15 years of coverage of the stem cell agency and posting of more than 5,000 items on its activities on the California Stem Cell Report.

Other stories in Capitol Weekly's top ten, most-read articles include the governor's plans for a stricter Covid lockdown, the tough sell facing California ballot measures and Capitol Weekly's list of the state's 100, top unelected political power players.

Capitol Weekly has been around for decades, originally as a print publication. It is now part of Open California, a nonprofit that helps to fill a gap left by diminishing coverage of state issues by the mainstream media. 

On its website, Open California says, 

"Our mission is to inform, enlighten and educate Californians about public policy and state governance, and to provide a platform for engagement with public officials, advocates and political interests.  To meet this goal, Open California publishes continuing, in-depth, nonpartisan coverage of current policy and political issues, and hosts regular forums for public discussion of policy and California politics."

Vote Count on $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Measure Nearing its Official End

With no votes left uncounted, the ballot initiative that saved the financial life of California's now $12 billion stem cell program has topped out at 51.1 percent approval compared to 48.9 against. 

The count reflects the most recent state election figures from late Friday. None of California's 58 counties is reporting that it has ballots yet to count. 

The raw numbers are 8,588,156 for Proposition 14 and 8,221,692 against. The measure provides $5.5 billion that the state will borrow over the next decade to fund the operations of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). 

Official certification of the election results is required by Friday.

CIRM was created by another ballot initiative in 2004 with $3 billion in state bonds. That money has nearly run out, and the agency was set to close its doors beginning this month. However, the passage of Proposition 14 saved CIRM. 

The measure provides no additional funding beyond the $5.5 billion. It will run out in 11 or so years, unless the agency slows its expected rate of spending. Because the money is borrowed, interest adds to the cost of the research and to the cost to taxpayers, bringing the estimated total expense to $12 billion. 

8,588,156

51.1%

8,221,692

48.9%

Post Election Media on What's Next for $12 Billion California Stem Cell Program

Passage of Proposition 14 has generated a handful of articles recently dealing with the direction of the California stem cell agency over the next decade or so, including pieces carried by Bond Buyer and Calmatters, a respected online news service dealing with state government and politics.

Barbara Feder Ostrov wrote a Nov. 24 article for Calmatters, which quoted  Jonathan Thomas, chair of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as saying,

“California has always had a frontier mentality and a love for the cutting edge, and the work that CIRM has done has put it on the very forefront of regenerative medicine.”

Proposition 14 saved CIRM from financial extinction by requiring the state to borrow an additional $5.5 billion for the 16-year-old program, which was originally funded with $3 billion in state bonds in 2004. Total cost of the program is expected to hit about $12 billion before the money runs out again in 10 to 15 years.

Ostrov also quoted Paul Knoepfler, a UC Davis stem cell researcher and blogger, on new areas of research for CIRM that are authorized by Proposition 14. He said,

“Stem cells are interesting and important, but there are going to be a lot of new therapies in the next 10 years that are not stem-cell centric."

In the article, CIRM board member Ysabel Duron addressed the need for improvement of diversity in terms of developing therapies for underserved segments of the population. She said,

“We need to keep researchers’ feet to the fire. They need to show us a plan and we need to reward them.”

Ostrov quoted this writer on some of the issues facing CIRM, including the question of what happens when the latest $5.5 billion is exhausted:

“The sustainability issue is important and it’s hard to address.… The money doesn’t last forever.”

Bond Buyer's Keeley Webster's article noted that the agency will be rewriting its budget now that Proposition 14 has passed. The measure alters CIRM's budgeting rules, shifting some significant costs around. 

Webster quoted state Controller Betty Yee on the agency's $5 million Covid round from last spring. Yee said,

“The $5 million didn’t buy a lot, but it did help get information out to underserved communities. And it put a model out there of how CIRM has been able to accelerate research projects.”

In a piece by Andrew Sheeler, The Sacramento Bee quoted Robert Klein, a Palo real estate developer and sponsor of Proposition 14. Klein poured millions of dollars into the ballot campaign. He said, 

“We had a big obstacle because we had to communicate to voters not only the potential to change the nature of treatments ... but we also had to inform voters of how the state could afford this....It was a citizen’s initiative in the truest sense.”

California's $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Boost: The Journal Nature Reports on "Split" Views, Conflicts and Priorities

The internationally respected journal Nature today took a look at the $5.5 billion refinancing of California's stem cell research program in an article that is not likely to please its supporters. The headline on the piece said:

"California's vote to revive controversial stem-cell institute sparks debate

"The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will receive billions in state funding — but some scientists oppose the plan."

The first paragraph of the article said, "(S)cientists are split over whether the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in Oakland is a worthwhile investment for the US state — or for the field of stem-cell research."

In significant ways, the article by senior reporter Nidhi Subbaraman echoed important elements of an examination of CIRM that Nature published in 2008. The journal, in fact, warned at the time of "cronyism" at the agency. (See Nature's editorial here and the article by Erika Check Hayden here.)

Today's latest article in Nature said,

"(C)ritics of CIRM are concerned about oversight at the state agency, which has faced complaints about potential conflicts of interest among its board members for years. They also point out that the field has grown and now receives federal support, making state funding hard to justify — especially amid a pandemic that has imperiled California’s economy."

Comments about priorities and the failure of the $5.5 billion measure (Proposition 14) to correct governance flaws at CIRM were also carried by Nature. Subbaraman wrote,

"'Unfortunately, Proposition 14 sets a bad example for the use of public money for the advancement of science,' says Zach Hall, a neurobiologist who led CIRM as its first president between 2005 and 2007."

Nature continued,

"'You could argue that California would do better, economically and scientifically, to have a CRISPR institute,' Hall says, arguing that the revolutionary precision gene-editing tool is better placed to benefit from such a huge infusion of cash."

 Subbaraman quoted another former top level scientist at CIRM.

"'As scientists, everybody always welcomes additional funding,' says Arlene Chiu, former director of scientific activities at CIRM. 'But as a Californian, one wonders if there are better ways to do this.'"

Nature mentioned a $700,000 study of the agency by the Institute of Medicine in 2012, which recommended a major restructuring of CIRM along with steps to deal with its conflicts of interest, which the IOM regarded as a serious problem. 

The California Stem Cell Report, which has followed the agency since 2005, has analyzed CIRM's awards and reported earlier this year that 79 percent ($2.1 billion) has gone to institutions with links to members of CIRM's governing board. Members of the board cannot vote on grants to their institutions, but they control the direction of the agency and approve plans for all award rounds.

Most of the recommendations by the IOM were not implemented by CIRM or Proposition 14. Nature interviewed one of the members, Cato Laurencin, of the IOM panel that spent months examining CIRM, which financed the study.

Subbaraman wrote,

"'It is very exciting that Prop. 14 passed and that CIRM will continue its funding,' says Cato Laurencin, a biomedical engineer at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, who is not funded by the institute. 'This field is at a bit of an inflection point in terms of our understanding of stem-cell science.'"

Subbaraman's piece included comments from Robert Klein, the real estate developer who sponsored Proposition 14 and poured millions into the campaign for it. Klein was also responsible for writing the 17,000-word measure.

The Nature article said,

"Responding to the criticisms, Klein says he crafted the proposal with the guidance of multiple groups of experts, and kept the mandate deliberately broad to allow for flexibility as the field grows. 'There's an intent here,' he says, 'to have the agency be responsive to the development of science.'"

The AP Says Prop. 14 -- the $5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Measure -- Wins Approval

Robert Klein, sponsor of Proposition 14
California Stem Cell Report photo

California voters have bailed out the "nearly broke" state stem cell agency by approving $5.5 billion more for the 16-year-old program, The Associated Press has declared. 

The AP yesterday called the election on Proposition 14 with 51 percent approval of the measure. This morning, state election officials said the figure still stood at 51 percent (8,025,624) with 49 percent against (7,700,870). An estimated 1,054,820 ballots remain to be counted. 

AP reporter John Rodgers  described the agency as "nearly broke." He wrote that the approval was the narrowest margin of any proposition on the ballot. The result was also a far cry from the 59 percent vote for creation of the agency in 2004. 

At the time, the stem cell program was provided with $3 billion, but the money was nearly gone by this year. The agency was scheduled to begin closing its doors this winter without additional funding. 

The campaign of 2004 raised high expectations among voters that miraculous stem cell cures were just around the corner. However, the agency has yet to help finance a stem cell treatment that is widely available to the general public, although it is helping to finance 64 clinical trials. 

CIRM Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in a statement (full text below) that the agency was "thrilled" by the election result which he said showed that the people of California "recognized our historic achievements."

The official sponsor of Proposition 14 is Robert Klein, a Palo Alto real estate developer. He directed the writing of the 17,000-word proposal as well as directing  the campaign and contributing millions of dollars to the effort. Klein served an identical role in 2004 and became the first chairman of the agency as a result of language that he wrote into the 2004 proposition. 

It is unclear what role, if any, Klein will have at the agency in the next several years. Thomas' term is not set to expire until Dec. 13, 2022.

In a statement, Klein said, 

"The success of Propositon 14 sends a clear message from California voters that one of the most important investments our state can make is in the future health of our families." (full text below) 

Ironically, while Proposition 14 provided for $5 billion-plus in "new," borrowed money (state bonds), it does not provide any funding beyond that amount for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as the agency is formally known. That means that CIRM will need another bond measure in 10 to 15 years unless it can devise a plan for financial sustainability, a task that it has failed at over the last 16 years. 

Proposition 14 also significantly expands the scope of the research that CIRM can support and increases the much-criticized size of its governing board from 29 to 35. And it provides a mechanism to hire substantially more employees. 

CIRM's staffing peaked at about 56 and stood at 33 at last report. It will need to begin hiring more soon if it is to ramp up its award program to levels of previous years.

The CIRM board is scheduled to meet next month when it may take up revisions in its strategic plan and other forward-looking matters. 

Here is the full statement from Thomas, chairman of the CIRM governing board: 

“We are thrilled to see Proposition 14  approved by the voters of California. We are proud of what we have achieved so far - the cures and therapies we helped develop, the billions we brought into the state in additional investments, and the tens of thousands of jobs we created – and we look forward to continuing that work.

 

"We are honored by the trust the people of California have placed in us, and by the support of our extraordinary patient advocate community and by the many Chambers of Commerce around California who have all recognized our historic achievements.

 

"We are already working on ways to repay that trust and bring stem cell and regenerative therapies to all the people of this great state, particularly for communities that have traditionally been overlooked or underserved.” 

Here is Klein's statement from the campaign website:

“The success of Prop. 14 sends a clear message from California voters that one of the most important investments our state can make is in the future health of our families. Over the past decade, California has made incredibly thoughtful and impactful investments in developing stem cell therapies and cures for diseases and conditions like diabetes, cancer, blindness, Parkinson’s, paralysis and many more; now we know this progress and work to mitigate human suffering, restore health and improve the human condition will continue,” said Robert and Danielle Klein, Chairs of Californians for Stem Cell Research, Treatments and Cures.

“A special thank you to California’s voters and our supporters in passing this critical measure. Today would not have been possible without our historically unprecedented coalition of patient advocate organizations and individuals – the heart and soul of this campaign – who worked tirelessly to overcome all obstacles and help secure a victory for patients and their families, and deliver hope to those searching for a cure for generations to come.”

“YES on Proposition 14 was outspent by a majority of the other measures on the ballot, but from day one, our mission has been too important to give up. Patients and their families looking for cures and treatments for their loved ones do not understand the meaning of impossible, and neither did the YES on Prop. 14 campaign. This measure would not have overcome these challenges without the patient advocacy community that refused to take no for an answer and continued to fight for their loved ones; patient advocates, along with the empathy, foresight and continuing commitment of California voters, have delivered a victory for YES on Proposition 14 and secured funding to improve or save the lives of millions.”

$5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Measure Holding Steady for Approval; Stem Cell Agency Set Today to Give Away $24 Million

 As directors of the $3 billion California stem cell agency are scheduled to meet later this morning, narrow voter approval of a ballot measure aimed at saving the agency's financial life is nearing a conclusion. 

The latest count by state election officials  at 8:18 a.m. PDT today continues to show Proposition 14 holding steady with 51.1 percent of the vote, a figure that has been virtually unchanged since last week. The percentage translates to 7.9 million votes. 

Negative votes are running at 48.9 percent or 7.6 million. State election officials are estimating that "unprocessed" ballots are running at 1.5 million. The figure is the latest from the state. H however, it is old, dating back to Tuesday at 6 p.m. PDT.

The agency is running out of the $3 billion originally provided by voters in 2004. Proposition 14 would provide the agency with $5.5 billion more over the next 10 to 15 years and make major changes in the agency, including a significant expansion in what it can fund.  The money would be borrowed by the state. No provision for funding the agency is provided after the money runs out again. 

The new ballot measure will not go into effect until after it is officially certified, which may not happen for another 28 days.

The meeting of the stem cell agency's board begins at 10 a.m. PDT today and is open to the public, including questions. Its agenda includes the award of as much as $21.7 million in clinical level grants and $2.5 million for basic research.  Several researchers have sent letters to the board appealing rejection of their applications by reviewers, who make the de facto decisions on the awards.

The meeting agenda also includes a proposal involving a possible loan to Viacyte, Inc., of San Diego. The agency has already pumped $52 million into the firm. Information on the meeting agenda concerning the loan is a bit laconic. The California Stem Cell Report has queried the agency for more details. 

Latest Prop. 14 Count: 51.1 Percent Yes, 48.9 Percent No

As of 7:05 a.m. PDT today, the count for Proposition 14, the $5.5 billion California stem cell measure, stands at 51.1 percent for and 48.9 percent against. It is not clear when election officials will stop counting, but certification is required within 30 days.  An estimated 2.7 million votes remain to be counted, according to election officials. 

Vote Margin Tightens on California Stem Cell Measure

California Secretary of State graphic

The margin of approval for California's $5.5 billion stem cell ballot measure has narrowed very slightly with the latest figures showing 51 percent of voters in favor, down from 51.1 percent last week. 

The "semi-official" vote count at 9:08 a.m today from the Secretary of State's office tallied 7,085,881 (51.0 percent) in favor of Proposition 14 and 6,802,604 against (49 percent). State election officials, however, did not have a count for the number of all outstanding ballots, as of last night.

The total number of ballots reported cast at this point is about 13.9 million. About 22 million persons are registered to vote. A significant percentage of those are not expected to have voted at all. Many vote only on races important to them, such as the presidential contest. Still others simply don't work their way through the ballot to the propositions. 

Some readers may ask: Is it a possibility that Proposition 14 could ultimately lose in the official, certified count that is not due until December? The answer is the usual one for questions of possibilities: Anything is a possibility. 

However, at this stage in the count, it is more likely than not that the remaining outstanding votes will break in the pattern already established, with Proposition 14 being approved.  But, as noted, anything is possible.

Regarding the map below, it is a static version of the one on the Secretary of State's site. Red indicates counties that did not support Proposition 14. If you click on this sentence, the link will take you to an interactive version that opens up each county.  

Prop. 14 Campaign Says Race Still Too Close to Raise Victory Flag for $5.5 Billion Measure

California voters have apparently approved spending $5.5 billion more on stem cell research over the next 10 to 15 years and significantly broadening the scope of its state stem cell agency, according to unofficial figures this morning. 

The refinancing of the agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), was approved by 51.1 percent of the voters compared to 48.9 percent against, with 99 percent of the votes in, state election officials reported. 

(However, a spokeswoman for the Proposition 14 campaign said following publication of this item that the vote is too close to call. "There are at least 4 or 5 million votes that still need to be counted, she said.) 

CIRM was created by voters in 2004 who also provided it with $3 billion in borrowed money. However, the cash began to run out last year, and staffers were leaving. The Oakland-based agency was planning to begin closing its doors this winter in the event that Proposition 14 was not approved. 

Approval of Proposition 14 means the revival of an enterprise that is unique in California history and in the nation. No other state has mounted a stem cell program on the scale of CIRM. Voters 16 years ago endorsed it with 59 percent of the vote following a campaign that raised optimistic expectations that stem cell cures were right around the corner. 

However, CIRM has not financed a stem cell therapy that is widely available to the general public. It is helping, however, to finance 64 clinical trials.  

In addition to providing $5.5 billion in state bonds, Proposition 14 authorizes CIRM to expand its operations into such areas as mental health, therapy delivery and "aging as a pathology." Its 29-member board will be expanded to 35, raising the likelihood of more conflicts of interests involving the board. 

An analysis this summer by the California Stem Cell Report showed that 79 percent of the agency's awards have gone to institutions with links to members of the CIRM board. The board members cannot vote on awards to their specific institutions. But they vote on and can change award "concept" programs that can benefit their institutions. 

In 2012, a $700,000 evaluation of CIRM, commissioned by the agency itself, recommended a major restructuring of CIRM and was critical of the conflict of interest issues posed by its structure. Proposition 14 does little to address those recommendations from the prestigious Insitute of Medicine. 

The 2004 ballot initiative also deliberately structured CIRM to avoid oversight by the governor and legislature. Funds flow directly to CIRM without requiring legislative approval. 

The immediate task now facing the agency is to adopt a new strategic plan for spending the $5.5 billion and hiring additional staff. The number of its employees dwindled to 33 this summer, down from a high of 56. 

The CIRM board yesterday scheduled a public, online meeting for Nov. 12. Its agenda currently does not include approval of the new strategic plan that its CEO Maria Millan and CIRM staff have been devising. 

Proposition 14 also could mean the removal of some board members whose terms are 50 percent expired. But that would depend on the pleasure of the appointing authorities. 

Prop. 14 Ballot Results: Narrow Lead for the $5.5 Billion Measure

Proposition 14, the $5.5 billion California stem cell measure, is winning approval from about 52 percent of voters with slightly over half of the state's precincts reporting. 

But the margin is too small to declare a win for supporters of the measure. Look for an update on the vote early tomorrow morning (Wednesday). 

Voting on Proposition 14

(10:25 p.m. PDT)

Geographic Area	Percentage Yes	Percentage No	Percentage of Precincts Reporting
Statewide	52.0	48.0	50.3
Los Angeles County	52.5	47.5	NA
San Diego County	54.1	45.9	NA
Orange County	48.9	51.5	NA
Riverside County	49.5	50.5	29.0
San Bernardino	50.2	49.8	NA

Election Results Prop. 14: Returns are Mixed and Very Preliminary

Early returns on voting on Proposition 14, the $5.5 billion California stem cell measure, are mixed and too preliminary to make firm conclusions about its fate. The counties listed are the five most populous in the state. Polls closed at 8 p.m. PDT.

These early returns do not necessarily indicate the final result, which may not be known for days, depending on how close the margin is.

Voting on Proposition 14

Geographic Area	Percentage Yes	Percentage No	Percentage of Precincts Reporting
Statewide	51.3	47.57	2.2
Los Angeles County	54.9	45.10	NA
San Diego County	54.26	45.74	NA
Orange County	48.85	51.5	NA
Riverside County	49.81	50.18	26
San Bernardino	NA	NA	NA

Prop. 14 Narrrowly Leading in Extremely Early Returns

Voting on Proposition 14

Early returns on voting on Proposition 14, the $5.5 billion California stem cell measure, showed that the measure was running ahead with  the state's voter. The counties listed are the five most populous in the state. Polls closed at 8 p.m. PDT.

These early returns do not necessarily indicate the final result, which may not be known for days, depending on how close the margin is. 

Geographic Area	Percentage Yes	Percentage No	Percentage of Precincts Reporting
Statewide	51.3	48.7	2.2
Los Angeles County	NA	NA
San Diego County	NA	NA
Orange County	NA	NA
Riverside County	NA	NA
San Bernardino	NA	NA

Prop. 14: California Voters Like Bond Measures Most of the Time -- At Least in the Past

If the past is any guide, the $5.5 billion ballot measure to rescue the state of California's stem cell program from financial extinction is likely to win approval today from voters.

Golden State voters have been generous with bond measures since 1986, approving them more than a majority of the time in statewide elections. 

According to figures compiled by the state's Legislative Analyst, 67 bond measures on statewide ballots have been approved in the last 34 years. Twenty-seven were rejected. 

That said, considerable caveats abound. These are not ordinary times.  

The state is reeling from wildfires, severe economic disruption, Covid-19, overstretched local and state budgets not to mention pandemic fatigue. 

And just how all that will translate to action on Proposition 14, the stem cell ballot initiative is unclear. No polls have been published on the measure, which has been eclipsed by much higher profile measures, not to mention the presidential race. 

But it could well be that the public wants more certainty in terms of medical care and cures, which the backers of Proposition 14 promise.

"Proposition 14 continues vital funding to find treatments and cures for life-threatening diseases and conditions that affect someone in nearly half of all California families – such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes," says the campaign website.

"Stem cell research is restoring health and improving lives in California," the site says.

Oddly enough the heavy promotion in past years of snake-oil "stem cell" therapies may well benefit the measure. Everybody loves miracles. And significant segments of the public do not distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate medical claims.

That said, it could cut the other way as well, with some voters thinking Proposition 14 is a close cousin of the rogue "stem cell" clinics, which number in the hundreds across California and are almost totally unregulated. 

Election results are likely to be slow to surface this evening after polls close at 8 p.m. PDT. The mainstream media will be focused on other races that will go unmentioned here. The California Stem Cell Report, however, will be digging into the returns most of the evening and will bring Proposition 14 results to you right here on this site both tonight and again tomorrow morning. 

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​Read all about California's stem cell agency, including Proposition 14, in David Jensen's new book. Buy it on Amazon: California's Great Stem Cell Experiment: Inside a $3 Billion Search for Stem Cell Cures. Click here for more information on the author.

Prop. 14: USA Today Looks at UCLA Gene Therapy and California's Stem Cell Program

The Lagenhop family in Los Angeles for a clinical
trial to treat their children for a fatal affliction
Harrison Hill/USA Today photo

USA Today has published a lengthy piece involving initial, favorable results from a more than $12 million clinical trial backed by the California stem cell agency and involving a rare disease that usually ends the lives of children before they reach kindergarten age.

The article comes on the eve of the final day for voting on a ballot initiative, Proposition 14, to save the agency from financial extinction by giving it $5.5 billion more. Officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicince (CIRM), the 16-year-old agency is running out of its original $3 billion and is scheduled to begin closing its doors this winter without a boost from the initiative.

The research involves three children from Ohio who are being treated at UCLA in a trial being conducted by Donald Kohn, who has performed other genetic therapy procedures for rare diseases. For the work, CIRM awarded Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded, New York-based firm, $6.6 million in May 2019. The firm provided co-funding of $5.6 million. (Here is a link to the summary of the review of the application, CLIN2-11480.)

Over the years, CIRM has supported Kohn's work with $52 million, not including the Rocket funding. 

The USA Today article by Karen Weintraub began with the case of the family of Alicia and Jon Langenhop of Canton, Ohio. The piece delved into the history of the California stem cell program, but did not mention the agency or its official name.  Proposition 14 was mentioned twice, once in the headline. 

USA Today is a national newspaper. Circulation figures for California are not available, although it reports national, weekly circulation of 726,906. Today's story, which would resonate with many voters, was tucked away in its health section.  

The affliction involved is Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I. 

"Patients with severe LAD-I can develop life-threatening infections because their white blood cells are unable to leave the bloodstream to fight them. Without a successful bone marrow transplant, severe LAD-I is most frequently fatal during the first 2 years of life," the Rocket web site said.

The company's stock price today closed at $28.74, up 70 cents. Its 52-week high is $30.43, and its 52-week low is $9.01. 

USA Today quoted some researchers as saying taxpayer spending has put the Golden State in "the forefront of global stem cell research." The article said, 

"George Daley, a stem cell biologist who is dean of Harvard Medical School, said he's envious of the California researchers who have access to this pot of money.

"'California has always been a very exciting place to pursue science, but prior to (the taxpayer funding), it wasn't exactly the place that was the first on the tip of your tongue as a powerhouse community for stem cell science,' he said. 'But there's no way that today it wouldn't be listed in the top three.'"

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Read all about California's stem cell agency, including Proposition 14,  in David Jensen's new book. Download it from Amazon:  California's Great Stem Cell Experiment: Inside a $3 Billion Search for Stem Cell Cures. Click here for more information on the author.