STEM CELL AGENCY FIGHTS FOR ITS LIFE

Three taxpayer groups filed a pair of lawsuits claiming the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is not a legitimate state agency because it lacks proper oversight. The trial that began Monday could determine the fate of the agency, which was created after Proposition 71 was approved by 59 percent of voters in 2004, authorizing the agency to dole out an average of $300 million in research grants annually over 10 years The agency has yet to hand out a dime because legal troubles. The head of California's stem cell research institute is expected to take the stand when the trial that could determine the fate of the institute resumes today. Larry Mantle talks with LA Times staff writer Lee Romney.