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The Critic's Resource on AntiEvolution

NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2014/08/29

(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)

Dear friends of NCSE,

Further details about Ohio's antiscience bill. And the American
Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists calls for a repeal of
Tennessee's antiscience law.

CREATIONISM AND OHIO'S ANTISCIENCE BILL

A sponsor of Ohio's House Bill 597 -- which if enacted would require
the state's science standards to "prohibit political or religious
interpretation of scientific facts in favor of another" -- is giving
mixed signals about his intentions. Andy Thompson (R-District 95) told
the Cincinnati Enquirer (August 22, 2014), "Nowhere in the bill does
it mention creationism," but then explained, "There is the perspective
of faith and the perspective of science," contending that the bill
would give local school districts the flexibility to include both.

"It's a hugely bad idea," NCSE's deputy director Glenn Branch told the
newspaper, referring to the objectionable provision of the bill. "It
wouldn't require districts to teach [creationism] but would allow them
to,” he explained. "That puts districts in a very difficult position,
especially if there are a lot of groups in that area that are
supportive of teaching creationism. Some will be tempted to push the
limits and teach creationism. If they do, they'll get sued over it."

Thompson was dismissive of the prospect of a lawsuit, saying, "I think
there are a lot of scare tactics out there. ... I have faith in the
teachers and the districts." The Enquirer, however, alluded to the
Kitzmiller case in neighboring Pennsylvania as well as recent
incidents in the Ohio towns of Springboro, where there was a "proposal
to include teaching creationism among an array of other
origin-of-species theories in schools," and Lebanon, where a religious
group was allowed to teach creationism along with archery in gym
classes.

For the story in the Cincinnati Enquirer, visit:
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2014/08/22/common-core-bill-reignites-creationism-debate/14477147/ 

For information about Ohio's House Bill 597, visit:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=130_HB_597 

For information from the ACLU about the incidents in Springboro and
Lebanon, visit:
https://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/aclu-again-warns-springboro-school-board-against-promoting-religion-classroom
https://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/aclu-ohio-warns-public-school-against-allowing-local-clergy-teach-creationism-gym

For NCSE's taking action page for Ohio's HB 597, visit:
http://ncse.com/taking-action/stop-ohio-anti-science-bill 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Ohio, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/ohio 

A COURT BATTLE ON THE HORIZON IN OHIO?

"Count on a serious court battle if a few state legislators have their
way and Intelligent Design and other religious interpretations of
science are allowed to be taught in public schools," warns the
Cleveland Plain Dealer (August 22, 2014).

The topic is Ohio's House Bill 597, which if enacted would require the
state's science standards to "prohibit political or religious
interpretation of scientific facts in favor of another." Sara Clark
and Hollie Reedy, lawyers for the Ohio School Boards Association, told
the Plain Dealer that the language of the requirement was ambiguous.

But a sponsor of the bill, Andy Thompson (R-District 95), is on record
as stating that the provision would allow local school districts to
teach "intelligent design" along with creationism, telling the Plain
Dealer (August 19, 2014), "I don't know that it needs to be treated on
par, but districts will be able to choose based on their judgment."

If the requirement is thus understood, Reedy told the Plain Dealer,
"Absolutely it's going to be challenged." And she predicted that the
challenge will succeed, citing the decision in 2005's Kitzmiller v.
Dover case. "That case has been cited as the leading case on this,
including by the Ohio Supreme Court, " Reedy said.

Concerned Ohioans are urged to register at NCSE's website to indicate
their opposition to the antiscience provision of HB 597, to get help
reaching out to their state representatives, and to receive action
alerts for attacks on science education in Ohio.

For the August 22, 2014, story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, visit:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/creationism_coming_to_ohio_classrooms_not_without_a_court_fight.html 

For the August 19, 2014, story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, visit:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/08/common_core_opposition_bill_wont_limit_foreign_authors_-_or_teaching_of_creationism_and_intelligent_design.html 

For information about Ohio's House Bill 597, visit:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=130_HB_597 

For NCSE's taking action page for Ohio's HB 597, visit:
http://ncse.com/taking-action/stop-ohio-anti-science-bill 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Ohio, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/ohio 

ASIH CALLS FOR REPEAL OF TENNESSEE'S ANTISCIENCE LAW

At its 2014 meeting held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the American
Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists adopted a resolution
encouraging the state of Tennessee to repeal the antiscience law --
nicknamed the "monkey bill" -- adopted there in 2012. The resolution
reads, in its entirety:

***

Whereas the theory of evolution is the basis of all biological science
including medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology; and

Whereas the Tennessee legislature has passed an anti-science bill
(House Bill 368) under the guise of academic freedom that makes the
teaching of the theory of evolution more difficult and incorrectly
suggests that the theory of evolution is scientifically controversial;
and

Whereas Governor Bill Haslam has allowed this bill to become law;

Therefore be it resolved that the American Society of Ichthyologists
and Herpetologists meeting in Chattanooga 30 July-3 August 2014
encourages the State of Tennessee to reverse this profoundly
regressive law.

***

The law in question, enacted as Tenn. Code Ann. §49-6-1030, encourages
teachers to present the "scientific strengths and scientific
weaknesses" of topics that arouse "debate and disputation" such as
"biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming,
and human cloning."

Groups opposing the law include the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the American Institute for Biological
Sciences, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the
National Earth Science Teachers Association, and the Tennessee Science
Teachers Association.

For ASIH's website, visit:
http://www.asih.org/ 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Tennessee, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/tennessee 

WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America,
recently? If not, then you've missed:

* Glenn Branch discussing the censorship of Clarence Darrow's film
about evolution:
http://ncse.com/blog/2014/08/censoring-darrow-0015820 

* Stephanie Keep explaining misconceptions about fitness:
http://ncse.com/blog/2014/08/misconception-monday-what-is-fitness-0015825 

* Ann Reid relating a story of bugs and features in fruit flies:
http://ncse.com/blog/2014/08/bugs-features-fruit-flies-0015835 

And much more besides!

For The Science League of America, visit:
http://ncse.com/blog 

Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website --
http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on 
evolution and climate education and threats to them.

--
Sincerely,

Glenn Branch
Deputy Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x303
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
branch@ncse.com 
http://ncse.com 

Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America:
http://ncse.com/blog 

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http://reports.ncse.com 

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