shoul states and federal govt pass laws legalizingstem cell research?

Answer 1

Are you talking about fetal stem cells, or adult stem cells?

If you're more specifig on your question then I'll be more specific in my answer.

Even if the researcher was using Dog Poo for research, there would still be a host of laws, practices, etc that they'd have to observe. And, I suspect that those rules would be sufficient for adult stem cells.

Fetal stem cell research is the flash point here. Strangely, fetal stem cell research is indeed done legally in the USA, with the backing of the Fed Gov't., but you'd never know it with all of the hype from the Pro-Choice abortion people.

You see, your question has little to do with medical research ethics, and very much "to do" with the abortion debate. If the Pro Choice people can show where abortion can be a good thing then they'll get support for their side. Conversely, the people on the Pro Life side have a vested interest in making sure people know that such tissue comes from dead babies (that's their words), and is akin to saying that research on Holocaust victims was okay "because they were gonna die anyway."