The day his doctor gave him the news he had Parkinson's disease, Michael Hooffstetter's mind went blank.

"He kept talking, but I just zoned out," said Hooffstetter, who was diagnosed at age 46.

Since then, however, Hooffstetter, 52, has rebounded from the shock and is working to convince lawmakers that embryonic stem-cell research could help people like him.

Hooffstetter, like patients of other debilitating diseases, are hoping state lawmakers this session will pass Senate Bill 23, a measure that would allow embyronic stem-cell research in New Mexico.

He and others including Cody Unser, who is paralyzed from the chest down, turned out at the Capitol to wade into one of the more contentious debates on the 30-day agenda.

The measure, first introduced last year, would allow research to be done only on embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. It would repeal a late-1970s law that prohibits the research.

Embryonic cells are promising for a host of disorders because they can transform into other cell types — which means they can be used to repair or replace cells — such as brain or spinal cord material damaged by disease.

Proponents including Gov. Bill Richardson say it could help find cures from those who suffer from ailments including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and perhaps cancer. Opponents say the research kills embryonic cells.

Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, who is sponsoring the measure, said he's worked to answer questions other legislators have about the measure.

Senators last year approved the measure, but it died in the House.

This year, Ryan says he thinks it has a better chance of passing. "I think the short session is actually a little better for things like this," he said. "There's not a lot of time sitting around where people are thinking of ways to kill your bill. Plus we've already done this once, and we've had time to address concerns."

Ryan and several doctors held an informational session for other lawmakers at the Capitol early Monday morning in an effort to reach out to those who might oppose the bill.

One big group is already against the measure, which puts Richardson at odds with one of his key allies — the Catholic Church.

"We were an ally on things we agree upon, but we're not going to agree to disagree. We're going to fight him, and he needs to know that," said Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Churches.

Some religious groups have expressed concern that fostering embryonic stem-cell research could lead to abortions or violate the "sanctity of life" in other ways.

The bill creates restrictions on the new sources of embryonic cells: They must be umbilical cord cells, placental cells or come from in vitro fertilization clinics and be targeted for disposal or deemed excess tissue.

It prohibits research on any in vitro cultures of intact human embryos.

The bill also includes penalties for anyone who engages or assists in research on human reproductive cloning, making it a misdemeanor punishable by a $25,000 fine, a year in prison or both.

The legislation is modeled after existing embryonic research laws in a handful of other states, including California, Maryland, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, Ryan said.

Ryan and Richardson are also is pushing for $2 million in funding.

The money would be used primarily to hire three to four prominent researchers and their teams at The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, said Richard Larson, vice president for translational research at the center.

"We would be able to recruit high-quality individuals because they would be able to stay in the country to do this research," Larson said. "Right now, many researchers have to leave the United States to work on embryonic stem cells."

Several European and Southeast Asian countries allow the research and are more advanced in the science because of a federal ban on funding for research on new embryonic stem cells, Larson said.

That federal ban says no embryonic stem-cell research can be performed in buildings or on equipment that has been funded by the government. But UNM has a few buildings that are not federally funded where the research could take place, he said.

"We have identified facilities that need to be renovated and secured, but were not built with federal dollars," Larson said. "We would have to apply funds to renovation and security to make sure the buildings and equipment are used for their designated purposes."

The university would focus on research projects that could help with key medical issues in New Mexico, he said.

"Diabetes is quite significant here as are some forms of cancer," Larson said. "We would also look at a variety of brain diseases including stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury."

If passed, the bill could also foster economic development in New Mexico by drawing biomedical and biotechnology businesses to the state, Larson and Ryan said.

"A fair amount of biomedical researchers and companies are going overseas because of the federal ban on research on those stem cells," Ryan said. "If we were authorized to allow it to occur, and then put some money into it as well, then you'd see interest in New Mexico from those businesses."

The measure comes before the Department of Health can finish a study on what kind of stem-cell research is being done in the state and what the results of stem-cell research in animal trials shows. Results of the study are due to lawmakers next year.

If passed, it would take some time — a year and a half or so — before UNM could start working on research projects — after the funding comes through, it takes several months to go through the hiring process for more researchers, Larson said.

As for Hooffstetter, a retired Air Force major and the state coordinator for the Parkinson's Action Network, he'll lobby while he can. "As long as we can still do this, we will," Hooffstetter said. "If there isn't a cure, eventually we're going to get shut down."

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Contact Sue Vorenberg at 986-3078 or svorenberg@sfnewmexican.com.

DAY OF UNITY PROCESSION

• Starting at 1:30 p.m.: The New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops is celebrating a Day of Unity today and will hold a rosary procession from the Plaza to the Roundhouse. The group will ask Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, to withdraw a measure he introduced to allow embryonic stem-cell research at The University of New Mexico.
  

• Starting at 2:30 p.m.: The group has scheduled a prayer rally at the Roundhouse.