Three anti-science bills that would have severely set back the education of students in Oklahoma died quietly last week when the legislative session came to an end.
Among the bills that were killed includes:
SB 1742, which would have allowed teachers to challenge evolution using the Biblical theory known as creationism.
HB 1551 died previously in early April. That bill amounted to a full-fledged attack on climate change and evolution. Republican state Rep. Steve Russell attempted to amend an unrelated education bill, called HB 2341, to include the anti-science language of HB 1551 but that also failed.
With the end of the legislative session, all of these efforts to force creationism into science classrooms have been defeated meaning science has once again prevailed in another Republican dominated state. Earlier this month, science scored victories over creationism in Missouri and Alabama.
With these victories, Republican attempts to replace science with religion have been thwarted for the time being. Educators and scientists across the nation have been fighting in defense of science and the education of our kids for months, and now they have big wins in three different states. Science and fact once again reigns supreme.
Some faith in humanity… RESTORED!
Alas, creationism is like birtherism. No matter how much verifiable evidence and sound reasoning is applied to the counter-argument, some politicians and pundits will simply close their ears, eyes, and minds and continue to use their fact-devoid, faith-based views as the basis for forming public policy proposals.
Oklahoma has moved up from the dumbest state status, to just having the the dumbest Senators. You know the one that says God promised he would not destroy the earth so climate change is no problem, and his twin dweetle dum.
I believe(heh) that they still sell creationist books beside Scientific material at the Grand Canyon…