AUSTIN, Texas – Over 63% of Texas voters approved crucial funding to research and cancer prevention, affirming Proposition 6 and the continuation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
Proposition 6 allows the Texas Legislature to increase the maximum amount of bonds for CPRIT by another $3 billion. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of Texas (ACS CAN), alongside a strong group of leaders in health, business and government, led a campaign to implore voters to say Yes on 6.
“It’s clear that voters recognized the critical importance of CPRIT in the fight against cancer, a disease that will take the lives of 41,000 Texans in this year alone,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. “Today’s result means the Lone Star State will continue to shine as a leader in the fight against cancer and ensures we will continue to benefit from promising therapies and treatments as a result of CPRIT.”
Since its inception, CPRIT has funded more than 5.7 million prevention services in all 254 counties, which led to the detection of over 3,600 cancers and the identification of over 17,000 pre-cancers.
“You hear a lot about CPRIT recruiting a now-Nobel Prize winning scientist to Texas, and Texans should feel proud of that,” said ACS CAN Texas Senior Government Relations Director Marina Hench. “We should also be proud that CPRIT grants have brought services such as mammograms to our neighbors in both rural and urban communities – lifesaving screenings that perhaps would not have happened without CPRIT. We should be proud that for at least another decade, Texans will aggressively research this awful disease and have the resources required to support crucial prevention interventions.”
Proposition 6 was supported by many state leaders, including State Senators Jane Nelson and Kirk Watson, State Rep. John Zerwas (Ret.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
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