Tagged: CPRIT

Gov. Perry's announcement this week of the "fetal pain" bill is the latest in his attempts at restricting abortion in Texas; pro-life groups applaud the announcement and pro-choice groups are kicking their opposition into high gear. The governor made his announcement at a pregnancy crisis center, but what exactly is a pregnancy crisis center, and where do they get their funding? Freelance reporter Carolyn Jones investigates. Finally, problems with state-funded CPRIT continue to surface, the latest being an $11 million grant that was not reviewed before it was handed out.

There’s more trouble for the state’s embattled cancer-fighting agency.

The Travis County District Attorney’s office is now investigating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, better known as CPRIT.

Gregg Cox is the head of the Public Integrity Unit in the Travis County DA’s office. He says they’ll be looking at how contracts were awarded.

Some of the scientists with the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas have resigned, with one warning that the $3 billion taxpayer-funded agency is headed down a path of systematic abuse.

Texas is home to the country’s second largest cancer-research fund, which is the largest of any state. The only entity funded at a higher level is the federal National Institutes of Health. C-PRIT has awarded almost $700 million in grants in the past three years.