THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN NEWS 7A PRIMARY (CONTINUED FROM 6A) If elected, what else would you do to make Lawrence a better place for University students? Mike Dever "My goal is to bring the kind of jobs to town that will allow students to stay in Lawrence after graduating. I want to make Lawrence both the green and music capital of the region. KU is the only reason this city still exists, and we have to respect the students' place in it." How important is it that the Lawrence Transit System and KU on Wheels bus lines coordinate more? "Ridership and revenue may increase if the process of navigating Lawrence and the KU campuses using public transportation is made simpler. There may also be economies of scale and financial savings achieved if the systems were to work together more effectively." Devel How can the city make apartment complexes and other student living places safer from fires and crime? "The fire department could increase their public awareness programs for students at campus locations to educate students on the importance of proper smoke and carbon monoxide detector maintenance and operation as well as evacuation procedures and emergency egress equipment, in association with existing organizations. KU students and the Lawrence police department could implement an apartment complex/housing crime awareness task force, also in association with existing programs." How can the city make the down town area safer at night? An increased police presence and enhanced cooperation between downtown patrons and businesses owners could immediately impact the safety of downtown patrons. All three groups need to work together to effectively police and patrol the numerous establishments that are frequented by a variety of students and citizens." If elected, what else would you do to make Lawrence a better place for University students? "By increasing the number of employers in Lawrence, I believe we can provide all University students more opportunities to further their marketability and obtain real-world job skills necessary to secure solid employment after graduation. If the city can help existing business grow and attract new businesses to Lawrence, we can allow more students to work in Lawrence and obtain internships and full-time employment locally." Sam Fields How important is it that the Lawrence Transit System and KU on Wheels bus lines coordinate more? "To conserve on resources mainly. This would bring better service as well." Fields How can the city make apartment complexes and other student living places safer from fires and crime? "The fire department does a preseneter inspection with door knob cards each semester. I would encourage this practice to continue. Each tenant can demand better security from their apartment complex management." How can the city make the downtown area safer at night? "The police department has a foot and bike patrol that scours the downtown district in the high-traffic hours. I think we can improve the lighting in the areas between downtown and campus." If elected, what else would you do to make Lawrence a better place for University students? "I have said that I wish to keep the downtown sidewalks cleaner, I would support the city in acquiring sidewalk cleaning machinery to regularly clean the high-traffic sidewalks. At 14th through 11th streets between downtown and campus, sidewalks are steep and falls can occur. I would like to make these sidewalks safer and more easily traveled and at the same time preserve their historic brick looks by adding natural stone steps and pavers on level runs." Michael Limburq How important is it that the Lawrence Transit System and KU on Wheels bus on Wheels bus lines coordinate more? "I think it's pretty important for them to coordinate for the benefit of all of Lawrence." How can the city make apartment complexes and other student living places safer from fires and crime? Limbura "For the fires, it would be reviewing the building codes and updating older apartments. For security, form apartment watch groups and possibly student patrols." How can the city make the downtown area safer at night? "The city can, on nights of heavy concerts or sporting games, put more walking patrol officers when inclement weather will not allow biking officers to be out, and put out patrol cars to make the police presence more visible." If elected, what else would you do to make Lawrence a better place for University students? "Try and make housing more affordable to where the students and people in Lawrence can afford it. To try and get a permanent council to where renters and landlords can meet and work out differences instead of taking each other to court. Maybe create a permanent litigator, or try to form a landlord renters' bill of rights." How important is it that the Lawrence Transit System and KU on Wheels bus lines coordinate more? Carey Maynard-Moody "It seems prudent that we provide services that are in the best interest to the entire community. It seems that coordination of services works toward that end." Maynard Moody How can the city make apartment complexes and other student living places safer from fires and crime? "I suggest that students be more proactive about rendering access to their apartments for fire safety inspections. I would welcome hearing from students about what legitimate requests they have asked of the city police department re personal safety that the department has not been responsive to." How can the city make the downtown area safer at night? "The larger the number of residents downtown, the safer the area becomes. As city commissioner, I will seek student participation in creating new safety measures for the downtown area." If elected, what else would you do to make Lawrence a better place for University students? "The economic stability and vitality of the downtown is heavily influenced by how and where students and other shoppers spend their money. I will work with existing organizations to help educate all consumers about the impact of their spending habits. I will continue to work with the Sierra Club and city staff to draft and implement a comprehensive energy conservation master plan." Kansan staff writer Matt Erickson can be contacted at merickson@ kansan.com. — Edited by Mark Vierthaler BY JOHN HANNA ASSOCIATED PRESS Kansas moves to block research Method of harvesting stem cells too close to creating human clones, say bill's creators Debates about cloning and embryonic stem cell research are intertwined because the much-discussed process some legislators want to discourage or even prevent is used to create embryonic stem cells for research. 》LEGISLATURE But no debate occurred last week. The bills returned to committee to wait for summer political weather. The potential for lifesaving cures is the biggest reason defenders of SCNT and embryonic stem cell research give for not imposing restrictions. While the potential is hotly debated, one thing seems clear: The promise of such cures is the most potent political weapon against legislation like the House bills. TOPEKA - As the Legislature passed the midpoint of its 2007 session, events suggested that critics of embryonic stem cell research have seen support erode for their legislation on human cloning. The bill passed with 104 out of 125 votes, but the policy didn't survive a skeptical Senate. The debate has become complicated, with legislation becoming more detailed and specific. Proposals dealing with cloning and embryonic stem cell research passed there four of the six previous years. The House Health and Human Services Committee endorsed two bills last week, setting up a debate in the chamber. One measure established legal definitions, telling Kansas what constitutes human cloning, and the other prohibited the state from putting money into such research. It's somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT. The nucleus of an egg with 23 chromosomes, is replaced with the nucleus of another cell, with the full contingent of 46 chromosomes. After the cell begins to divide in a laboratory, researchers harvest its stem cells and discard the rest. Debates about cloning and embryonic stem cell research have been a part of the House's agenda for the past seven years, reflecting its anti- abortion majorities. Both bills targeted a process at the center of the cloning debate, one that supporters say isn't cloning but one that some scientists, many abortion opponents and embryonic stem cell research critics is exactly that. The current debate in Kansas has its roots in a sentence added as an amendment in 2001 to a bill meant to encourage research at state universities. "No research activities on human cloning shall be conducted by any state educational institution under the jurisdiction and control of the state Board of Regents." In Missouri, such research is protected by an amendment to the state constitution approved in November with 51 percent of the vote, after advocates spent more than $30 million on their campaign. It's clear which side the backers of the two House bills take. The definitions bill describes SCNT as producing "a cloned embryo." The other bill bans state funding for producing — of course — "a cloned embryo," an attempt to do so, or the shipping of products from such research. Some scientists and policy makers distinguish between "reproductive" cloning, in which the goal is to produce live offspring, and "therapeutic" cloning for medical research. And some also say SCNT isn't cloning because the product is never implanted in the womb. ---