NCSE Press Release:
House Bill 923 was among the hundreds of bills that died in the Alabama legislature "because they did not pass in the house where they were introduced," the Associated Press (May 7, 2008) reports. The latest in a string of "academic freedom" bills aimed at undermining the teaching of evolution in Alabama, HB 923 purported to protect the right of teachers in the state's public schools (including both K-12 and colleges and universities) to "present scientific information pertaining to the full range of scientific views in any curricula or course of learning," especially with regard to topics that "may generate controversy, such as biological or chemical origins." The bill also purported to address the rights of students, providing that "no student in any public school or institution of higher education ... shall be penalized in any way because he or she may subscribe to a particular position on any views." In 2004, a cosponsor of a previous version of the bill, SB 336, told the Montgomery Advertiser (February 18, 2004), "This bill will level the playing field because it allows a teacher to bring forward the biblical creation story of humankind."
Comments
It bothers me that my home state has such a huge problem with evolution. I'm doing my part though, trying to refute creationism:
http://www.aigbusted.com
-Ryan
Posted by: Ryan | May 9, 2008 7:30 PM
Greg,
Do you know anything about this?
http://www.nea.org/lac/highered/freedomposition.html
Great news about Alabama - I hope Ed Brayton is right about the Michigan bill and it dies in committee.
Posted by: James F | May 9, 2008 11:17 PM
Keep fighting the good fight, Ryan!
I was at dinner in Montgomery this evening, and a couple took note of my "Science: It Works, Bitches" t-shirt and asked where they could get their own.
There are pockets of sanity here in 'Bama.
Posted by: Optimus Primate | May 9, 2008 11:31 PM
I just moved to Alabama from Florida last July. I watched the Florida bills with some interest, then discovered from NCSE around the time that the FL bill died that Alabama had one in the works. It appears to come up every year or nearly so.
I'm glad to see it died. A lot of bills died in AL this year. The Senate spent most of the session in filibuster, so not much will make it through in the end.
Posted by: Mr. Upright | May 10, 2008 1:46 PM