This is important. This is urgent. WE. NEED. YOUR. HELP. TODAY!
The outcome of a vote in the California legislature on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 will have a long-term material impact on the future of research funding for spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions — INCLUDING SMA — in the state of California.
AB 190 would impose a $3 dollar surcharge on all moving traffic violations for research of spinal cord injury and the related neuromuscular diseases ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinsons', and spinal muscular atrophy. How material is this to research? If passed, AB 190 would funnel approximately $11,000,000 (eleven Million dollars) annually — ANNUALLY! — to important research. And this $11M will attract matching funds and add-on grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources, as it has always done. Now that's material dollars.
So, what do we need you to do? Simple. Two things. Copy and paste the below text in an email and send it to the following two Assemblymembers:
- Jerry Hill — click HERE to send an email to his chief legislative aide at [email protected]
- Tom Ammiano — click HERE to send an email to his legislative aide at [email protected]
Dear Assemblymember:
As someone impacted by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic killer of young children, I urge you to support Assembly Bill 190, (Wieckowski, D-Fremont) which would fund the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act (RR Act) through a small ($3) fine for reckless driving. This does not increase taxes and the funding would positively impact research of spinal cord injury and the related neuromuscular diseases ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinsons', and SMA.
Revenue-positive, the RR Act has attracted funding from out of state amounting to more than four times its costs: a ten-year investment of $14.6 million has brought in $63.8 million in add-on grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources. New money for our state.
Research supported by the Roman Reed Program has been endorsed by many renowned scientists, including: Paul Berg, winner of the Nobel Prize for his work with DNA; Shinya Yamanaka of Japan, inventor of Induced Pluripotent stem cells; Dalton Friedrich, who leads the world-renowned Miami Project to cure paralysis; and Zach Hall, former director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Please support Assembly Bill 190. In these grim times, it is a bright light of hope, one we can ill afford to extinguish.
Thank you so much for once again using your voice to help us fight SMA!