After the House overwhelmingly approved expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research and the Senate moved towards doing the same, President Bush once again indicated that he would likely veto the measure. Nevertheless, the cause of stem cell research is still moving ahead. The Boston Globe's Raphael Lewis has the story.

Democratic leaders in the state House and Senate, fresh off a robust override of Governor Mitt Romney's veto of a bill encouraging human embryonic stem cell research, said yesterday that they will take up a proposal within months to spend taxpayer dollars to foster such science.

Both Senate President Robert E. Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi said they would push a legislative spending package designed to make the Bay State more welcoming to the stem cell research industry, which hopes to find cures for devastating diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's in the coming decades.

Massachusetts is not the only "blue" state with a "red" Governor forwarding stem cell research. In addition to Massachusetts and California, Connecticut seems poised to move ahead with such a plan as well -- with the support of its GOP Governor. Noreen Gillespie reports for the AP.

The state House of Representatives on Tuesday gave final approval to a 10-year, $100 million plan to fund stem cell research, seeking to position Connecticut to compete with other states in the emerging scientific field.

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The Connecticut Senate has already approved the measure, and it now goes to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who has said she would sign it into law.

Rell predicted the legislation would create innovation by funding research on embryonic and adult stem cells and endorsing the research in laboratories.

With virtually all governmental funding for stem cell research staying in the "blue" states of California, Connecticut and Massachusetts, look for these coastal states to have a jump start on the next round of biotech investment and innovation. And though the two New England states have continued to lose their clout in this country as Southern and Southwestern states rapidly grow, look for this state-provided money to help foster an environment of education and advancement in years to come.