After nearly backing away from the issue this afternoon, Senate Republicans on Thursday evening passed a bill that would prohibit at least one form of embryonic stem cell research in Georgia.

Somatic cell nuclear transfers, a form of research being used to find a cure for juvenile diabetes, would barred under the legislation, which over the course of six days had morphed several times.

When it finally passed, S.B. 169 was stripped of all penalties, criminal and civil, and faces an unlikely future in the House. Even so, Christian conservatives claimed victory and predicted it would send a message to biotech companies thinking of doing business in Georgia.

Christian conservatives claimed victory and predicted it would send a message to biotech companies thinking of doing business in Georgia.

The bill was originally intended to restrict multiple births through invitro fertilization — inspired by the California “octuplet” mom. However, religious conservatives underestimated the reaction of couples who have had to cope with infertility... Five other Republicans joined Weber and the Democrat caucus to table S.B. 169, which forced Republicans into a 90-minute recess to rewrite the bill.

“We’re doing in five minutes things that ought to take a year and a half..." warned state Sen. Steve Thompson (D-Powder Springs).

Becker of GRTL: "it makes a statement."

Message received - loud and clear. Do not do business in Georgia as inevitably the legislature will cough up some poorly considered bill in an attempt to serve the limitless desires of one of their power hungry interest groups and trample on you in the process. I've seen this happen numerous times before in multiple contexts.