Wednesday News and Notes

• New York's new Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer is attempting to push the state into the stem cell research race with a $2 billion 10-year bond initiative for research and development, at least half of which would be set aside to pay for stem cell research. He is smartly touting the plan as an economic development effort in the hopes of attracting support from upstate Republican lawmakers.

• According to this Washington Post article, there exists in this country an actual consensus that universal healthcare is both a necessity and doable at the same time. All it needs is Congress and Bush to get on board, neither of which will be easy.

• Indiana looking seriously at a state minimum wage hike. Chances of passage look decent.

• In yet another example of Republican hatred and bigotry (especially, for some reason, in VA) state legislator Frank D. Hargrove said black people "should get over" slavery and questioned whether Jews should apologize "for killing Christ." I mean come on.