Topeka ? A proposed $5 million annual appropriation to help Kansas University build a world-class cancer center was mired Tuesday in turf politics and the debate over stem cell research.

Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the Kansas Cancer Center, told the House budget committee that proposed legislation detailing how the center would be operated actually would destroy KU’s attempts to develop a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

“While I appreciate the intent of those who crafted this legislation, its actual provisions would have the effect of torpedoing much of the momentum this initiative has enjoyed to this date,” Jensen said.

But Jensen’s remarks prompted a testy exchange with the vice chair of the committee, Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, who said KU wanted the appropriation with no legislative oversight “and we should just be happy little campers.”

She added: “I’m almost a little bit insulted.”

But Jensen said KU would be accountable to the Legislature on how the dollars would be spent.

Jensen said the legislation, House Bill 2988, would provide several barriers to achieving the national cancer center status. Those include:

¢ Putting the Kansas Bioscience Authority in charge of coordinating research. Jensen said the authority’s mission was to drive economic development, while the cancer center’s mission was to focus on health. He also said the National Cancer Institute requires that the cancer center director be in charge of managing resources.

¢ Requiring the establishment of an umbilical cord blood bank. Jensen said that would cost from $1 million to $2 million to start, plus $3 million to $4 million annually to test, process, preserve and store cord units.

“Such a diversion of funds from our core mission cannot be justified and would not, I believe, be looked upon favorably by the National Cancer Institute,” Jensen said.

Kansans for Life, a leading anti-abortion group, supports the legislation, saying cord blood is increasingly being used as a source for stem cells.

The group opposes research that uses embryonic stem cells, saying that destroys human life.

The committee took no action on the bill. Committee Chairman Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said, “We’ll meet in the next few days to get the bill in shape where they (KU) support it,” he said.