The bill being promoted by senator Kent Cravens on "academic freedom" has appeared on the radar. Kate Nash of the Santa Fe New Mexican has written a short article drawing attention to it. She writes:
A measure pending in the Senate Education Committee would protect teachers who want to talk about theories of a "controversial scientific nature," including but not limited to creationism, its sponsor said.
Gee, I wonder what scientific theory is thought to be "controversial?"
Cravens said the bill isn't meant to be an anti-Darwinian measure.
"It's not intended to be," he said, "It's just intended to give the teacher the ability to disclose that there may be another way to think about this, whatever subject they are talking about."
Such measures have been tried unsuccessfully in the Senate in the past. Its chances of passing this session seem slim; if it clears the education committee, it would go to the Senate Judiciary Committee before it could reach the Senate floor. Seventeen days remain in the session.
As far as being passed, we have seen this go both ways—nay in Utah, aye in Louisiana. More often than not, they do get passed. As far as the bill being anti-Darwinian, that may be what Cravens thinks. That is not what the backing organization, the Discovery Institute thinks. Their hand is all over this and the local folks know that.
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