Aggregated News
A bipartisan bill introduced in the state Senate yesterday would authorize California's Little Hoover Commission to investigate how the state stem cell institute's governance structure might be changed to eliminate inherent conflicts of interest.
The bill also seeks to ensure uninsured Californians have access to drugs and therapies funded by the stem cell institute.
The measure, sponsored by senators Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, and George Runner, R-Lancaster, comes amid investigations by the political fair practices commission and a state audit committee, both of which were prompted by conflict-of-interest allegations against a board member.
“Those (reviews) are directed at things that have happened,” Kuehl said yesterday. “What I want to do is look ahead to see if there are necessary fixes.”
The interest in the structure of the institute, and fixing possible conflict-of-interest issues, is new for the senators – though the concern with access to new therapies is not.
Last year Kuehl and Runner, who serve on the Senate Health Committee, introduced legislation seeking to lower prices for the state's neediest residents on drugs funded in part with stem cell...
The bill also seeks to ensure uninsured Californians have access to drugs and therapies funded by the stem cell institute.
The measure, sponsored by senators Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, and George Runner, R-Lancaster, comes amid investigations by the political fair practices commission and a state audit committee, both of which were prompted by conflict-of-interest allegations against a board member.
“Those (reviews) are directed at things that have happened,” Kuehl said yesterday. “What I want to do is look ahead to see if there are necessary fixes.”
The interest in the structure of the institute, and fixing possible conflict-of-interest issues, is new for the senators – though the concern with access to new therapies is not.
Last year Kuehl and Runner, who serve on the Senate Health Committee, introduced legislation seeking to lower prices for the state's neediest residents on drugs funded in part with stem cell...