By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis – A group that wants Missourians to ban "human engineering" in November has gotten approval from the Missouri secretary of state's office to circulate its petition.
The Elliot Institute is pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban human cloning and what the group calls genetic engineering.
Elliot Institute director David Reardon says getting the needed 150,000 signatures by May 9th will be an uphill battle.
"We got a very late start, so it depends on whether or not groups and individuals and churches will go to our website and sign up and participate in distributing. So I'm not going to claim confidence, but we have a shot."
Another initiative protecting stem cell research in the state already is circulating.
Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures chairman Donn Rubin calls the latest petition an effort to confuse voters.