TRENTON — The Senate budget committee approved a bill Monday that would fund a stem cell research institute — despite objections that such a project would lead to publicly funded embryonic stem cell research. The bill would borrow money to be repaid through future cigarette taxes so the state could spend $150 million to build the research facility, to be run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University; $75 million for projects in the state park system; and $60 million for biomedical research facilities.

Critics said it was improper to lump park repairs with stem cell research and wanted assurance that no embryonic stem cell research would occur at the facility, slated to be built near the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

John Tomicki, executive director of the state chapter of the League of American Families, threatened legal action to stop the facility. "We believe the bill is constitutionally flawed, and we are prepared to take the issue to court," Tomicki said. "One part of it is dealing with bricks and mortar, the other part is parks. That's grass and dirt on one hand, bricks and mortar on the other, so it violates the single purpose."

Kathleen Scotto, senior associate dean for research at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-UMDNJ, said there will be no embryonic research at the proposed facility but would not rule it out in the future. "We will certainly be adaptable to take advantage of new technology,"

Scotto said. "We realize this is a difficult issue for many people, and we respect that. At this point, we don't feel it is necessary to move forward with embryonic research, although certainly, if the opportunity arises, we would like to move forward because we feel it has potential."

In 2001, President Bush limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research to stem cell lines already in existence, lines that were generated with proper consent and lines from which donors won't receive compensation, said Don Ralbovsky, spokesman for the National Institutes of Health. Most of the critics said they would support the research facility if legislators restricted its work to adult stem cells. Sen. Wayne R. Bryant, D-Camden, the committee chairman, said legislators shouldn't dictate what can be studied, but he said no laws will be broken by researchers at the institute.

Republican senators on the committee asked to separate the parks from the stem cell proposal and to restrict research to adult stem cells, but the measure passed — mostly along party lines — without those changes, 8-6-1.

Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Gloucester, abstained from the vote, and Sen. Joseph V. Doria Jr., D-Hudson, voted yes but said he may change his vote when the issue comes before the full Senate. "I'm disappointed we didn't separate this bill," said Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, who voted no. "I don't think it was proper to be putting parks in with the stem cell research. I think it was very unfair to this committee."

Bucco said the uncontroversial parks measure was attached to stem cell research to get votes for the controversial matter.

Sen. Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said both matters benefit the public. "We believe embryonic stem cell research will not take place in New Jersey, as long as federal restrictions are in place," Vitale said. "This is an important use of public money for the public good. It's one way to address two needs."

Some of the critics, including Dawn Parkot, 33, of Morristown, who has several disabilities, were people who have diseases that stem cell research aims to cure. "Although I'd love to have speech and have good eyesight again, or be out of pain, I have no right to ask a child to die to even have an excellent likelihood to get better, let alone the marginal promise that stem cell research offers," Parkot testified. "If you apass this bill, you will be funding those who seek to play God."

The proposal still needs additional approvals before it can become law.