Dear OSTA,
Let me begin by first thanking you for your support. There have been no calls in support (of proposed anti-science bills) only opposition – quite a bit, I believe. Thank you again. Now, we need to focus on SB 758 which meets Monday and will be the last chance for bills originating in the Senate to be heard.
Senate Bill 758 (Sen. Brecheen), “Oklahoma Science Education Act,” is a shorter and somewhat different version of HB 1674 which passed the committee today (on a 9-8 vote), and follows Brecheen’s attempts earlier to pass similar bills. However, unlike HB 1674, this bill does not mention the usual ‘controversial’ topics of biological evolution, chemical origins of life, global warming and human cloning. Both of these bills use the usual buzzwords, ‘critical thinking,’ ‘strengths and weaknesses’ of evolution, etc. — these are simply attempts to oppose the teaching of valid evolutionary science and are attempts to get around all previous Federal Court decisions declaring such bills as religious creationism.
Action alert! SB 758 has been referred to the Senate Education committee. Please contact committee members and voice your concerns about the bill. Dr. Broughton’s analysis, Why SB 758 by Brecheen Is a Bad Bill, can be helpful. Here is the contact info for the committee:
John Ford, Chair, 521-5634, fordj@oksenate.gov
Gary Stanislawski, Vice Chair, 521-5624, stanislawski@oksenate.gov
Earl Garrison, 521-5533, whitep@oksenate.gov
Jim Halligan, 521-5572, halligan@oksenate.gov
David Holt, 521-5636, holt@oksenate.gov
Clark Jolley, 521-5622, jolley@oksenate.gov
Susan Paddack, 521-5541, paddack@oksenate.gov
Wayne Shaw, 521-5574, Shaw@oksenate.gov
Ralph Shortey, 521-5557, shortey@oksenate.gov
John Sparks, 521-5553, sparks@oksenate.gov
Ron Sharp, 521-5539, sharp@oksenate.gov
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Deborah A Hill, NBCT
(Deborah is a science teacher in Norman and a past OSTA Board member)