Minnesota State Senator Mike Goggin (R-Red Wing) recently announced his support for a bill to increase funding for the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant (SCI and TBI) Program from $3 million per year to $5 million, in an effort to expand the program’s reach to more people living with paralysis or traumatic brain injuries. Gov. Tim Walz eliminated funding for the program in his 2021 budget proposal.

“Even in a tight budget year, there are certain things that need to be made a priority,” said Sen. Goggin. “We are blessed to live in a state that has been a world leader on traumatic brain injury and spinal cord research. Instead of cutting funding for those programs, let’s make sure they have the resources they need to continue making so many important breakthroughs.”

In 2017, with funding from private donors, Mayo Clinic became the first medical center in the world to validate paralysis recovery results using a spinal neuromodulation treatment, and the first patient in that clinical trial walked independently for more than 100 yards. Funding for this research came in two parts: half from the state’s SCI and TBI research grant program, and the other half came from private donors. At the end of last month, Governor Walz released his budget, which included a recommendation for eliminating the funding for this program.  

The bill is in the process of being drafted by the Revisor’s office.