NSCE has announced that Tennessee has joined the four states that are considering anti-evolution legislation. HB 368 [PDF] aims to permit teachers to “help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.” The “controversial” theories are the usual suspects – “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning.”
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
New Mexico added its name to the current slate of states with anti-evolution legislation being considered. The year started with Kentucky, then Missouri, then Oklahoma and now New Mexico. Weirdly, it is spreading west and we here in Arizona are the next state over. Given the lunacy in our current legislature, I wouldn’t be surprised if a bill appeared.
The New Mexico bill (HB 302) would require teachers to be allowed to inform students “about relevant scientific information regarding either the scientific strengths or scientific weaknesses” pertaining to “controversial” scientific topics. NCSE has more.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Hot on the heels of SB 554, the fine legislators in Oklahoma now give us HB 1551 – the “”Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act” [rtf] and differs only slightly from SB 320, which died in committee in February 2009 (coincidentally on the day I was leaving Norman after delivering a Darwin Day talk!). NCSE has more details.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
NCSE has announced that Missouri has become the second state to announce anti-evolution legislation (HB 195). As NCSE notes:
HB 195 is virtually identical to HB 1651, introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives on January 13, 2010. … When the Missouri legislative session ended on May 14, 2010, HB 1651 died without ever having been assigned to a committee.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Last year it was Mississippi that birthed the first anti-evolution bill of the year. This year the honor goes to the Bluegrass state which has resurrected the “Kentucky Science Education and Intellectual Freedom Act” that failed last year. HB 169 aims to:
encourage local school district teachers and administrators to foster an environment promoting objective discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of scientific theories; allow teachers to use, as permitted by the local board of education, materials in addition to state-approved texts and instructional materials for discussion of scientific theories; clarify that provisions do not promote religious doctrine or discrimination
NCSE has more.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
NCSE has just reported that the last two of the 2010 anti-evolution bills has died in committee. These were the two holdouts in South Carolina from 2009. The antievolutionists batted 0 for 4 this year.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Nice to see that Texans are giving us here in Arizona a run for our money. Not content with coming from a state that is rewriting history to reflect the right wing mantra of God and Guns, it now seems that a Texas congressman has killed a reauthorization of the 2007 America COMPETES Act. The reauthorization would have continued funding for science education and basic research. Ralph Hall decided to introduce an amendment regarding federal employees viewing pornography while at work, thus blocking funding by forcing Democrats to seem to be voting for pornography if they voted against Hall’s motion to recommit. And 121 Democrats folded like the cowards they are. These unfortunately included most of the AZ democratic delegation (Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Mitchell & Giffords). Only Grijalva did the right thing.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
NCSE notes that the Missouri anti-evolution bill (HB 1651) has fallen by the wayside, joining similar bills in Kentucky and Mississippi. That means all three bills presented this year have failed. Two bills, in South Carolina, remain as hold outs from last year.
Last year there were ten pieces of anti-evolution legislation (South Carolina [2], Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Missouri & Texas), eight of which died.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
NSCE is reporting that Kentucky’s HB 397 (the “Kentucky Science Education and Intellectual Freedom Act,” see here) has died in committee.
Update: I changed the post title as I had forgotten that the Mississippi bill died in February. Thanks to James for reminding me.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
House Bill 397 would, if enacted, allow teachers to “use, as permitted by the local school board, other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner, including but not limited to the study of evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning.” NCSE has more.
For those counting score, this makes three bills this year (and two – from South Carolina – that are active from last).
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
NSCE is reporting that Mississippi HB 586 has died in committee.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Classes started this week. I’m teaching the second half of the Socratic seminar that is required of all honors students at Barrett – you can see the schedule of readings here – and my course “Origins, Evolution and Creation” which is now in its twelfth year. You can read more about that class here. Above are the slides for the first class of “Origins” – an introduction to the course. I tried to record a podcast so you all could listen along, but ran into a problem. If there is sufficient interest (let me know in the comments), I may keep uploading slide presentations as the semester goes on. You’ll need to guess at what I’m saying, but it may be useful none the less 
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
According to NCSE, the latest anti-evolution bill is being brought to us by Missouri.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
Recent Comments