Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Punishing Research

As a graduate of Pitt and a former faculty memer at Lincoln University, I'm more than usually annoyed by  close-minded Republicans - in particular, 14 Republican members of the PA House of Representatives.  Led by State Rep. Jerry Knowles (R., Schuylkill), these folks were frustrated that the University of Pittsburgh, one of four state- related institutions of higher learning, received its usual appropriation. Why frustrated? 

Knowles objected to Governor Tom Wolf's plan to give Pennsylvania's four state-related universities, including Penn State and Pitt, a one-time, $40 million funding boost.  Wolf's action was catalyzed by opponents to abortion and their attempts to block funding for all four state-related schools.  The 14 objected to Pitt's use of fetal tissue in scientific research when, in 2019, some Republican lawmakers used talking points from anti-abortion advocates to try to block Pitt's appropriation.  Only if the administrations at all of Pitt, Penn State, Temple, and Lincoln swore under oath that they did not and would not engage in any research that used fetal tissue would the four institutiones be funded.

Threatening scholars and educators strikes me as oafish.  How would these Republicans have reacted to Jonas Salk?

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