Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said that he will sign legislation sent to him this afternoon by the House of Delegates that will make Maryland one of the first states in the nation to fund stem-cell research.

With Ehrlich’s signature, the state will offer up to $15 million in grants next year to university and private-sector researchers seeking treatments for debilitating conditions through work on stem cells, including those derived from embryos.
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The legislation was opposed by most Republicans in both chambers, but Ehrlich said he feels comfortable signing it given his record supporting abortion rights.

“I have my views, and those views are part of my record, part of my belief system,” he said.
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