In “Tennessee Evolution Bill Becomes Law After Governor Bill Haslam Declines To Act” ( The Huffington Post, 04/10/2012), Nick Wing reports,
A Tennessee bill meant to protect teachers who allow students to question and criticize “controversial” subjects such as evolution and climate change became law on Tuesday after Gov. Bill Haslam (R) declined to act.
Unclear why the scare quotes around the word, controversial. These topics are not controversial? Who knew?
The state legislature had sent the bill to Haslam earlier this month. He had until Tuesday to veto it, sign it or allow it to pass without his signature.
The bill would guarantee
that teachers will not be subject to discipline for engaging students in discussion of questions they raise, though Watson said the idea is to provide guidelines so that teachers will bring the discussion back to the subjects authorized for teaching in the curriculum approved by the state Board of Education.
What’s interesting is how hard the Darwin lobby fought to prevent so simple a change:
Calls from civil liberties groups for a veto of the “monkey bill” in Tennessee. A new attack on science education in Oklahoma. A survey on the perceived importance of science education. The Los Angeles Times’s view of Tennessee’s antiscience legislation. The death of a second antiscience bill in Oklahoma. Views from across Tennessee on the state’s antiscience legislation. And congratulations to Lawrence Krauss.
With philosophers staring to weigh in against their straitjacket in increasing numbers, it’ll be interesting to see how long they can make people wear it.
See also: Tennessee passes a “teach the controversy” over evolution bill
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