From Bob Collins:
Dear Friends of Science and Education:
We won!!!
Tuesday, May 3, was the deadline for bills to pass at least one house of the Alabama Legislature, or they would be dead for the remainder of this session.
The three creationist bills, HB352, HB716 and SB240, each misnamed “The Academic Freedom Act”, all failed to pass even one house by that date, so they have now died a well-deserved death.
These bills were supported by the Alabama Christian Coalition, who emailed 6 separate “alerts” asking their membership to ask their legislators to support these bills.
Last year, a creationist bill was approved by the full Senate and the House Education Committee, and was within hours of passing the full Alabama House of Representatives when the legislature ran out of time. We were better organized this year, and it worked!!
Thanks to everyone who called, wrote, faxed, talked to their legislators and/or testified.
We made a difference!!!!
There is no time to rest. This summer and fall, the Alabama State Board of Education will pick science textbooks for our schoolchildren. They will also decide whether to continue use of the embarrassing “Evolution Disclaimer” pasted in the front of every elementary, middle and high school textbook that mentions anything that happened over 6,000 years ago.
We will be monitoring the textbook selection process and will keep this email list informed.
Thanks again
13 Comments
Sir_Toejam · 4 May 2005
Woot!
Gary Hurd · 4 May 2005
Great news. It is sometimes hard to remember that most people are not like the professional creationists and their dupes we so often encounter here on PT.
Joseph O'Donnell · 4 May 2005
Good to see that science education standards were maintained.
Great White Wonder · 4 May 2005
That is AWESOME. Congratulations!
Maybe next year Alabamans can pass a "Defense of Scientific Integrity" bill that relegates creationist garbage to history classes.
Stuart Weinstein · 4 May 2005
Oh Well. Good News. Of course one can already hear the battle cry of the creationists..
"Wait till next year!"
Sir_Toejam · 4 May 2005
"There is no time to rest. This summer and fall, the Alabama State Board of Education will pick science textbooks for our schoolchildren."
*sigh* and here I was thinking only freedom required eternal vigilance.
evidently, preventing the spread of ignorance does as well.
RBH · 4 May 2005
Sir_Toejam · 4 May 2005
true, dat.
moioci · 5 May 2005
I have to say I'm a little disappointed that this issue has not yet made it to the ACSE site and that I didn't receive email via the AIB listserv referenced there. I am grateful to Bob Collins and Reed Cartwright for spreading the word through this august channel and EXTREMELY grateful that their efforts have been rewarded. I fear that eternal vigilance will remain the watchword here in the land of Judge Roy Moore. Next year I'll have a statement in the can, ready to fire off when, not if, the time comes.
Mike P · 5 May 2005
May I suggest we e-mail and thank the congresspeople for not approving this nonsense? I think some positive reinforcement might increase the chance that they'll act this way on their own in the future.
Flint · 5 May 2005
We might choose to notice that nobody actually had to go on record as voting AGAINST this proposal.
"Rev Dr" Lenny Flank · 5 May 2005
Sir_Toejam · 6 May 2005
well, as my pop always says, "it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick".