Snyder supports U-M on Republicans' stem-cell research challenge

Republican Michigan legislators who are trying to force the University of Michigan to provide details on embryonic stem-cell research have a big hurdle to overcome: Gov. Rick Snyder.

Snyder, also a Republican, remains convinced that the Legislature cannot force U-M or other universities to answer questions about stem cells included in budget bills, his spokeswoman told the Free Press.

"We remain consistent with the language on the stem-cell issue that we used last year where we took the position that the boilerplate language that was included in the current year's budget is unenforceable and unconstitutional if sought to be enforced," Snyder spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher said in a Friday e-mail. "Our legal counsel wrote a letter to legislative leadership to that effect, and it remains our view at this time as well."

U-M is glad to have Snyder's support, spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said Friday.

"It's encouraging that the governor is being consistent," Fitzgerald said. "We continue to work with the legislators in the appropriations process. We have a lot of time to address this and other issues."

Snyder's reluctance is likely to be a major weapon for U-M as it fights the Republicans on the issue.

The full House appropriations committee and full Senate appropriations committee each have now passed a higher education budget bill. The bills, which move on to the full state House and Senate, both include language tying performance funding to answering questions about embryonic stem-cell research.

U-M is eligible for about $5 million in performance funding.

It's unclear when the House and Senate will vote on the higher education budget.

U-M's share is about $270 million.

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Snyder supports U-M on Republicans' stem-cell research challenge