State Government at it again - Evolution

[swake]

The Republican war on science and honesty continues....

http://ncse.com/news/2012/02/second-oklahoma-bill-attacks-evolution-climate-change-007221

A bill in Oklahoma that would, if enacted, encourage teachers to present the "scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses" of "controversial" topics such as "biological evolution" and "global warming" is back from the dead. Entitled the "Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act," House Bill 1551 was introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2011 by Sally Kern (R-District 84), a persistent sponsor of antievolution legislation in the Sooner State, and referred to the House Common Education Committee. It was rejected there on February 22, 2011, on a 7-9 vote. But, as The Oklahoman (February 23, 2011) reported, the vote was not final, since a sponsor "could ask the committee to bring it up again this session or next year." And indeed, on February 20, 2012, Gus Blackwell (R-District 61) resurrected the bill in the House Common Education Committee.

The only significant difference is that where the original version specified, "The Legislature further finds that the teaching of some scientific subjects, such as biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy, and that some teachers may be unsure of the expectations concerning how they should present information on such subjects," the new version specifies, "the Legislature further finds that the teaching of some scientific concepts including but not limited to premises in the areas of biology, chemistry, meteorology, bioethics and physics can cause controversy, and that some teachers may be unsure of the expectations concerning how they should present information on some subjects such as, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning."

On February 21, 2012, just a day after HB 1551 was resurrected, the House Common Education Committee voted 9-7 to accept it, hearing no testimony from the public. One amendment, providing, "Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to exempt students from learning, understanding, and being tested on curriculum as prescribed by state and local education standards," was accepted; while that language was not present in the original version of HB 1551, it was added by amendment by the House Common Education Committee in 2011 before the bill was rejected, suggesting that Blackwell was working from the original rather than the amended version of Kern's bill. The bill will now presumably proceed to the House of Representatives for a floor vote; it will have to be accepted by the House by March 15, 2012, in order to proceed to the Senate.

In its current incarnation, HB 1551 differs only slightly from Oklahoma's Senate Bill 320 from 2009, which a member of the Senate Education Committee described to the Tulsa World (February 17, 2009) as one of the worst bills that he had ever seen. In its critique (PDF) of SB 320, Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education argued, "Promoting the notion that there is some scientific controversy is just plain dishonest ... Evolution as a process is supported by an enormous and continually growing body of evidence. Evolutionary theory has advanced substantially since Darwin's time and, despite 150 years of direct research, no evidence in conflict with evolution has ever been found." With respect to the supposed "weaknesses" of evolution, OESE added, "they are phony fabrications, invented and promoted by people who don't like evolution."

[Hoss]

The Republican war on science and honesty continues....

http://ncse.com/news/2012/02/second-oklahoma-bill-attacks-evolution-climate-change-007221

A bill in Oklahoma that would, if enacted, encourage teachers to present the "scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses" of "controversial" topics such as "biological evolution" and "global warming" is back from the dead. Entitled the "Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act," House Bill 1551 was introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2011 by Sally Kern (R-District 84), a persistent sponsor of antievolution legislation in the Sooner State, and referred to the House Common Education Committee. It was rejected there on February 22, 2011, on a 7-9 vote. But, as The Oklahoman (February 23, 2011) reported, the vote was not final, since a sponsor "could ask the committee to bring it up again this session or next year." And indeed, on February 20, 2012, Gus Blackwell (R-District 61) resurrected the bill in the House Common Education Committee.

The only significant difference is that where the original version specified, "The Legislature further finds that the teaching of some scientific subjects, such as biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy, and that some teachers may be unsure of the expectations concerning how they should present information on such subjects," the new version specifies, "the Legislature further finds that the teaching of some scientific concepts including but not limited to premises in the areas of biology, chemistry, meteorology, bioethics and physics can cause controversy, and that some teachers may be unsure of the expectations concerning how they should present information on some subjects such as, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning."

On February 21, 2012, just a day after HB 1551 was resurrected, the House Common Education Committee voted 9-7 to accept it, hearing no testimony from the public. One amendment, providing, "Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to exempt students from learning, understanding, and being tested on curriculum as prescribed by state and local education standards," was accepted; while that language was not present in the original version of HB 1551, it was added by amendment by the House Common Education Committee in 2011 before the bill was rejected, suggesting that Blackwell was working from the original rather than the amended version of Kern's bill. The bill will now presumably proceed to the House of Representatives for a floor vote; it will have to be accepted by the House by March 15, 2012, in order to proceed to the Senate.

In its current incarnation, HB 1551 differs only slightly from Oklahoma's Senate Bill 320 from 2009, which a member of the Senate Education Committee described to the Tulsa World (February 17, 2009) as one of the worst bills that he had ever seen. In its critique (PDF) of SB 320, Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education argued, "Promoting the notion that there is some scientific controversy is just plain dishonest ... Evolution as a process is supported by an enormous and continually growing body of evidence. Evolutionary theory has advanced substantially since Darwin's time and, despite 150 years of direct research, no evidence in conflict with evolution has ever been found." With respect to the supposed "weaknesses" of evolution, OESE added, "they are phony fabrications, invented and promoted by people who don't like evolution."

Must be something in the water at the State Capitol....

[Townsend]

Must be something in the water at the State Capitol....

...lack of proper education, exodus of intelligent people to other states, cases of the crazies, lobbies, wild misunderstandings of reality, placement of convenience for seperation of church and state...

[dbacks fan]

Brought to you by the same people that think this is of utmost importance........

http://www.newson6.com/story/16977852/oklahoma-house-bill-delays-legal-drinking-on-21st-birthday?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[swake]

My God we have elected a mass of mouth breathing morons as state legislators. If aliens were to attack and blow up the state capital Independence Day style the average IQ of this state would go up 15 points.

Please note: In the interest of not confusing any good people from state government that might read this and want to enact a new law protecting themselves from aliens, this post is satire. The aliens are the flying saucer kind and the term "alien" does not refer to anyone human. No, the flying saucer aliens are NOT real, I am referencing a science fiction movie (please note the word "fiction") and even if these aliens were real it's unlikely that any law you might propose would stop them at the border. No, not even a fence. You may now resume drooling.

[Townsend]

My God we have elected a mass of mouth breathing morons as state legislators. If aliens were to attack and blow up the state capital Independence Day style the average IQ of this state would go up 15 points.

Please note: In the interest of not confusing any good people from state government that might read this and want to enact a new law protecting themselves from aliens, this post is satire. The aliens are the flying saucer kind and the term "alien" does not refer to anyone human. No, the flying saucer aliens are NOT real, I am referencing a science fiction movie (please note the word "fiction") and even if these aliens were real it's unlikely that any law you might propose would stop them at the border. No, not even a fence. You may now resume drooling.

1.  Oh great, now they're all running around the capital building lighting themselves on fire in fear or tripping over the cones meant to protect them from falling up those busted stairs.

2.  Well done on your post.  I tittered.

[godboko71]

So how many of the people on this panel have science backgrounds? Leave science class alone, if you want to teach the "alternatives" hire a few new humanities teachers to teach "creationism."

Problem solved, no diluting science class and one can learn the alternative if they so chose. 

[Conan71]

1.  Oh great, now they're all running around the capital building lighting themselves on fire in fear or tripping over the cones meant to protect them from falling up those busted stairs.

2.  Well done on your post.  I tittered.

Laughing hysterically now between you and awake.

This legislation does nothing, it only encourages teachers.  But this along with other statement legislation tells me our legislature doesn't have near enough to do.  Let's just send these idiots home to their plows.  Permanently.

[dbacks fan]

So how many of the people on this panel have science backgrounds? Leave science class alone, if you want to teach the "alternatives" hire a few new humanities teachers to teach "creationism."

Problem solved, no diluting science class and one can learn the alternative if they so chose. 

Where do you think all the "Liberal Arts" majors find work?

[Ed W]

Where do you think all the "Liberal Arts" majors find work?

Hey! I'm a liberal arts major!  And I push electrons around for a living.

[dioscorides]

i am starting to believe that Idiocracy is beginning to happen and the oklahoma state capital is ground zero.

just in case you haven't seen the movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

[Red Arrow]

Hey! I'm a liberal arts major!  And I push electrons around for a living.

You are supposed to pull them.  Ever try to push (cooked) spaghetti?

[heironymouspasparagus]

And since we went there....
We now must go here....

http://www.venganza.org/

[cannon_fodder]

Oklahoma Republicans seem to believe "small government" means "just big enough to force my religious beliefs on others."  What scientific facts to disregard. Who is having sex with who. What religious monuments to erect where.  What I can do with my sperm and what my wife can do to prevent pregnancy.

Small government doesn't just mean spend less...

[Conan71]

If Knut were still alive: