From Holden:

First it was Ahnold pushing stem cell research in California. Now Texas’ senior senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson is calling for state-funded stem cell research in Texas.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Friday that state leaders should work with Gov. Rick Perry and the Legislature to develop a stem cell research policy that keeps Texas from being “left in the dust by California.”

Hutchison, a potential 2006 Republican primary challenger to Perry, referred to a landmark $3 billion initiative to fund stem cell research passed by California voters in November.

[snip]

Hutchison said the research could help cure cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. “I think that Texas needs to have a responsible, ethical policy regarding stem cell research,” she said after the meeting.

“I think if we are going to stay in the forefront of scientific discoveries, we are going to have to find an ethical way to keep the state-of-the-art experiments on stem cells and how they can displace unhealthy cells in people’s bodies.”

Watch for more republicans to run away from Bush administration policies as they seek office in ’06 and ’08. Some mandate.