Bill Undermining Teaching of Evolution Introduced in Indiana
Bill Undermining Teaching of Evolution Introduced in Indiana
On January 10, 2019, a bill (SB 373) was introduced in the Indiana legislature that would, if enacted, allow “[t]he governing body of a school corporation [to] require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation.” Science education groups have expressed concern that the bill is intended to undermine the teaching of evolution. According to the groups, if enacted, the bill could result in teachers being forced to present the theory of creation alongside the theory of evolution which may cause students to believe that the two theories are equally valid from a scientific perspective and/or to question the science of evolution.
| Update: On February 21, 2019, the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development approved amendments to SB 373. The amendments removed the section allowing the governing body of a school corporation to require the teaching of creation science and other theories regarding the origin of life.
On April 2, 2019, the Indiana House of Representatives passed SB3 73 (as amendment) on a 67-26 vote. On April 8, 2019, the Indiana State Senate voted 40-8 to pass the bill (as amended). On May 5, 2019, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill (as amended) into law. |
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