Evolution education update: December 30, 2011
This email makes me embarrassed to be from Indiana
> Dear Friends of NCSE,
>
> A new creationist bill in Indiana, and more on the two antievolution > bills in New Hampshire. Plus a new issue of Evolution: Education and > Outreach.
>
> CREATIONIST LEGISLATION IN INDIANA
>
> Senate Bill 89, prefiled in the Indiana Senate and referred to the > Committee on Education and Career Development, would, if enacted, > amend the Indiana Code to provide that “[t]he governing body of a > school corporation may require the teaching of various theories > concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the > school corporation.” The sponsor of the bill is Dennis Kruse > (R-District 14), who chairs the Senate Committee on Education and > Career Development. In 1999, while serving in the Indiana House of > Representatives, Kruse pledged to introduce a law to remove evolution > from the state’s science standards, according to the South Bend > Tribune (August 27, 1999). Instead, however, he introduced bills with > the same wording as Senate Bill 89, House Bill 1356 in 2000 and House > Bill 1323 in 2001. Both died in committee.
>
> “The obvious problem,” commented NCSE’s executive director Eugenie C. > Scott, “is that the Indiana legislature can’t authorize a school > district to violate the Constitution. And the Supreme Court held, in > its 1987 decision in Edwards v. Aguillard, that it’s unconstitutional > for creation science to be taught in the public schools.” She added, > “It’s disturbing that a veteran legislator like Kruse is ignorant of > — or indifferent to — the blatant unconstitutionality of his bill.” > The most recent antievolution bill in Indiana, 2006′s House Bill 1388, > was aimed at supposed errors in textbooks, although its sponsor had > previously announced his intention to introduce legislation requiring > the teaching of “intelligent design” in the state’s public schools; HB > 1388 died in committee. The current legislative session resumes on > January 4, 2012.
>
> For the text of SB 89 as introduced, visit:
> http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/IN/IN0089.1.html
>
> For the text of HB 1356, HB 1323, and HB 1388, visit:
> http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2000/IN/IN1356.1.html
> http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2001/IN/IN1323.1.html
> http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2006/IN/IN1388.1.html
>
> And for NCSE’s previous coverage of events in Indiana, visit: > http://ncse.com/news/indiana
>
>
