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Assembly Committee To Vote On Fetal Tissue Ban

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Wisconsin state Assembly committee plans to vote on a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit research using tissue obtained from aborted fetuses.

The measure up for a vote Wednesday in the Assembly's criminal justice committee is opposed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and researchers who say it will impede their work.

The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Andre Jacque from DePere would make it a felony to sell, donate or experiment on cells, tissues, organs obtained from fetuses that were aborted after Jan. 1.

Supporters of the ban say that will allow research to continue on cell lines and tissue obtained prior to this year.

But researchers continue to oppose the bill, say existing cell lines can't be used as substitutes for new ones in the future.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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