A legislative committee at the Statehouse in Boston is expected to approve a cloning and embryo research bill next week, right after Easter. The bill would then go to the Senate and House for separate votes. Many legislators expect action on the floor of each branch to come swiftly. A bill could reach the Governor’s desk within the next two to three weeks.

The staff of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference has been lobbying against any bill that endorses research on embryos and human cloning. Senate and House members are receiving calls and e-mails from their districts, but their staffs are telling MCC lobbyists that the volume is not as high as they expected on such a hot button issue.

Please keep up the hard work and get the word out to fellow parishioners and friends about the need to contact lawmakers. Both state senators and state representatives can be reached by phone by calling the Statehouse switchboard at 617-722-2000. Also, go online to http://www.macathconf.org and follow the link to cloning resources for information on how to contact lawmakers electronically.

Also, a new resource is now available on the MCC Web site. The informative and well-researched Questions & Answers on Human Cloning and Embryo Research provides essential points, which will help anyone who wants to learn more about these complicated issues.

“Notes from the Hill” is provided by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC), the public policy voice for the four Catholic dioceses of Massachusetts. “Notes from the Hill” is not an official statement of the bishops of Massachusetts or MCC.