California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed AB 926–against which I warned last May–that would have permitted biotech companies to buy eggs from women and embryos from IVF companies. From his veto message:
Not everything in life is for sale nor should it be.
This bill would legalize the payment of money in exchange for women submitting to invasive procedures to stimulate, extract and harvest her eggs for scientific research…
In medical procedures of this kind, genuinely informed consent is difficult because the long term risks are not adequately known. Putting thousands of dollars on the table only compounds the problem.
Brown notes rightly that six years ago the current prohibition was passed nearly unanimously, and sees no reason to change now. That was always a ruse. Nice to see Big Biotech held to their false promise.
Good for Jerry! I admit that I am pleasantly surprised.