Gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., announced a plan Tuesday to directly invest $25 million into new stem-cell research that does not destroy the embryo.

Marking the 33rd stop on Green's 100-stop road trip throughout the state, Green held a press conference at the Hartland home of Tom and Dana Schreibel, whose son, Brent, has juvenile diabetes. There, Green said the proposal would be the first to allow state money to be invested into stem-cell research.

"The money would go to WiCell [Research Institute], which is a national stem-cell bank," Luke Punzenberger, spokesperson for Green's campaign, said. "WiCell would then be given to researchers to do research on stem cells in Wisconsin. This would be the first time state funds are being used to directly finance stem-cell research."

But Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign came out against Green's proposal, saying the money would be limited to one technique that has been "debunked by a number of credible sources."

"Mark Green talked about the possible funding of a technique that doesn't exist yet, focusing on not harming the embryos," Matt Canter, communications director for Doyle, said. "The governor's focus is on funding stem-cell research focused on finding cures."

Canter added that the California biotechnology company that announced the discovery of the new technology later admitted the embryos died.

Yet Punzenberger said the technology still deserves funding, noting the focus of Green's support is on the potential the scientists are seeing.

"The embryos used in that research ended up dying, but it's the methodology behind the research — not the actual experiments — we're pointing to," he said. "And a motivating factor behind this is that we can conduct stem-cell research in an ethical manner."

A focal point about stem-cell research for both candidates has been the potential of curing juvenile diabetes. Doyle recently released a television advertisement challenging Green's voting record on stem-cell research. In the ad, a mother tells the story of her infant daughter who has juvenile diabetes.

Punzenberger said that the announcement of the new research, together with Doyle's advertisement, convinced Green to hold the press conference at the Schreibel residence.

"I have known Mark Green for years, and he has always supported doing what is right," Tom Schreibel, a former colleague of Green, said at the press conference. "As a parent of a child with juvenile diabetes, I am excited about this new breakthrough and am glad Mark would invest in this research as our new governor."

In response to the new campaign ads, Canter said Doyle's "philosophy" takes a different approach.

"[The University of Wisconsin] is the birthplace of stem-cell research and remains a leader in this research," he said. "The governor wants to make sure we remain a national leader and not let politics get in the way of this research."

Last week, Doyle announced the formation of a campaign group, Stem Cell Champions, which includes UW research scientists as well as victims of the disease supporting research to aid future generations.

Almost one year ago, Doyle announced that WiCell secured a $16 million National Institutes of Health grant to make the state-of-the-art research facility the first National Stem Cell Bank in the U.S.