Newsday reports that support for stem cell research in New York lags behind the national average. While approximately 45% of New Yorkers polled by Cornell University's Survey Research Institute said they would support stem-cell research and would approve establishment of a state-funded institute dedicated to that purpose, this percentage is "far below the national average reported in other polls." In other states like New Jersey and Wisconsin, this percentage is closer to 65%-75%.

Leaders within the state's biotech and medical establishment are already predicting a future in which New York relinquishes its lead in scientfic and medical research to other states that are more proactive on stem cell research. The head of the New York Biotechnology Association was puzzled as to the lack of support by New Yorkers: "The only reason I can think of is that stem-cell research isn't yet at the top level of New Yorkers' priorities and there hasn't really been a big push for it yet."