Constitutional Law

Science Group Citing La. Law On Evolution Moves Annual Gathering

A leading science organization has cancelled plans to conduct its annual convention in Louisiana over a state law it says permits religion to be taught in public school science courses. The New York Times reports that the Society of for Integrative and Comparative Biology told Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal that it would not hold its 2011 annual gathering in New Orleans because of the law. Jindal signed the bill into law last year permitting public school teachers to use supplemental material to “help students critique and review scientific theories.” In a letter to Jindal announcing its decision, the group writes that, “It is the firm opinion of SICB’s leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana.” 

The letter, which is posted on the group’s Web site, states that the group would move its 2011 convention elsewhere, noting that it “could not support New Orleans as our meeting venue because of the official position of the state in weakening science education and specifically attacking evolution in science curricula. Utah, in contrast, passed a resolution that states evolution is central to any science curriculum.”

A sponsor of the Louisiana measure told The Times that the bill included language intended to dissuade religion from being taught in public school science courses. State Sen. Ben Nevers maintained that there was “no hidden agenda” in the bill. Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Louisiana University professor and one of the leaders of the Louisiana Coalition for Science, said the state was now suffering “tangible” consequences of the measure. “The legislature and the governor cannot say they weren’t warned,” Forrest stated in an article posted on the group’s Web site. “They were, but they ignored the warnings. Indeed, they ignored everyone except the creationists at the Discovery Institute and the Louisiana Family Forum.”

Full post as published by ACS Blog on February 17, 2009 (boomark / email).