A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, require the instructional materials used in public schools to “provide objective, balances, and non-inflammatory viewpoints on controversial issues.” While the term “controversial issues” is not defined in the bill, education groups have expressed concern that it could encompass climate change and evolution, forcing public schools to use textbooks that question proven scientific theories in those areas.

A bill was introduced in the Iowa legislature that would, if enacted, prevent use of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in schools. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sandy Salmon, has previously said she opposes the NGSS because they present “controversial topics [such as] climate change, man’s negative impact on the environment, and evolution as a scientific fact.”

A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, require the instructional materials used in public schools to provide “objective, balances, and non-inflammatory viewpoints on controversial issues.” While the term “controversial issues” is not defined in the bill, science education groups have expressed concern that it could encompass anthropogenic climate change, and thus force public schools to use textbooks that question whether human activities are the cause of recent temperature increases.

A bill was introduced in the South Dakota legislature that would, if adopted, request local school boards to adopt rules preventing teachers “[a]dvocat[ing] for any issue that is part of a political party platform.” Critics fear that this could limit teachers’ ability to discuss climate change, which is dealt with in the Democratic party platform.

A resolution was introduced in the Virginia legislature that would, if adopted, request that the State Board of Education adopt rules preventing teachers “[a]dvocat[ing] for any issue that is part of a political party platform.” Critics fear that this could limit teachers’ ability to discuss climate change, which is dealt with in the Democratic party platform.

A bill stating that “nature, not human activity, causes climate change” was introduced in the Montana legislature. That statement would, if the bill is enacted, be declared an official “finding” of the Montana legislature and would need to be offered “when providing educational and information materials on climate change.”

A bill was introduced in the Oklahoma Senate that would, if enacted, allow teachers to present “the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories.” Critics say this could undermine science education by allowing teachers to question proven scientific theories, particularly in areas seen as controversial, such as evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Maine legislature that would, if enacted, require teachers to “present both sides” of any “controversial issue.” The term “controversial issue” is defined broadly to include any issue addressed in an “electoral party platform,” and thus would include climate change, which is discussed in the Democratic party platform.

A bill was introduced in the South Carolina legislature that would, if enacted, allow public schools to include creation science as part of the curriculum in elective religion courses.

A bill was introduced in the South Dakota legislature that would, if enacted, prevent teachers being prohibited from discussing “the strengths and weaknesses” of any scientific theory. According to science education groups, this could undermine science education by giving teachers greater ability to question proven scientific theories, such as climate change and evolution.

A resolution was introduced in the South Dakota legislature that would, if adopted, encourage each local school board to adopt rules preventing teachers “[a]dvocat[ing] for any issue that is part of a political party platform.” Critics fear that this could limit teachers’ ability to discuss climate change, which is dealt with in the Democratic party platform.

A bill was introduced in the Connecticut legislature that would, if enacted, eliminate climate change from the state’s science education standards. In justifying the bill, its sponsor indicated that climate change is a “controversial” issue, and thus should not be taught in Connecticut schools.

A bill was introduced in the Connecticut state legislature that would, if enacted, prevent implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The bill’s sponsor has previously objected to the inclusion of climate change in the NGSS, asserting that it is a “controverisal” subject that should not be taught in Connecticut schools.

A bill was introduced in the Iowa state legislature that would, if enacted, prevent implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, has previously said she “oppose[s] NGSS as it pushes climate change . . . [and] evolution.”

A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, require “controversial” scientific theories to be taught in a “balanced” manner. While the bill does not identify any specific “controversial” theories, it’s sponsor indicated that it would apply to climate change and evolution, requiring teachers to present “different worldviews” on those topics.

A bill was introduced in the North Dakota legislature that would, if enacted, prevent teachers being prohibited from discussing “the strengths and weaknesses” of any scientific theory. Critics say this will undermine science education by giving teachers greater scope to question proven scientific theories and/or discuss alternative concepts that have been discredited or are unproven.

A bill was introduced in the Indiana legislature that would, if enacted, allow the governing body of a school to require teachers to present “various theories concerning the origin of life” to students. Critics say this is likely to result in the theory of creation being presented as an alternative to evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Arizona legislature that would, if enacted, require teachers to “present both sides” of any “controversial issue.” The term “controversial issue” is defined broadly to include any issue addressed in an “electoral party platform,” and thus would include climate change, which is discussed in the Democratic party platform.

Texas State Senator Jason Isaac asserted, contrary to decades of scientific research, that the burning of fossil fuels does not contribute to climate change. He worked with the Texas Natural Gas Foundation to develop new science education guidelines to “get the bias” against fossil fuels out of schools.

The Arizona Department of Education revised draft science education standards to limit the teaching of evolution and give teachers greater flexibility to present it as a controversial topic about which scientists disagree.

A bill was introduced in the Iowa legislature that would, if enacted, prevent implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The bill was reportedly prompted by a concern that the NGSS discuss “controversial topics,” such as climate change and evolution.

The Idaho House of Representatives Education Committee voted to remove references to the climate impacts of fossil fuel use from proposed science education standards.

A member of the Ohio Board of Education, Sarah Fowler, proposed adding an “overarching content statement” to the state’s new science education standards. The statement emphasizes that “scientific conclusions are necessarily based upon philosophical assumptions,” which is an argument often used to challenge the teaching of evolution. Critics assert that, if the statement is added to the standards, it may encourage teachers to present the unproven theory of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives that would, if enacted, prevent implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The bill was reportedly prompted by a concern that the NGSS discuss “controversial topics,” such as climate change and evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Alabama legislature that would, if enacted, allow teachers to present the theory of creation as an alternative to evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, require “controversial” scientific theories to be taught in a “balanced” way. While the bill does not identify any specific “controversial” theories, it is thought to be targeting the teaching of climate change and evolution.

At a Republican candidate event, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas argued that school children should be taught alternatives to the theory of evolution, including the unproven theory of “intelligent design.”

During a hearing of the Utah State Board of Education, vice-chairwoman Alisa Ellis argued that teachers should present evolution as a theory and not a fact. She also urged teachers to discuss alternative explanations for the origins of life, including the unproven theory of “intelligent design.”

The New Mexico Public Education Department proposed to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, with various amendments, which critics say will limit discussion of climate change and evolution in schools.

The Alabama legislature passed a resolution labeling climate change, evolution, and human cloning as “controversial” theories and encouraging teachers to question their accuracy.

The Oklahoma Science and Engineering Fair, and several regional science fairs, are to be cancelled in 2018 due to a lack of funding from the state government.

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to amend a guidance document on the state’s science education standards. The amendment referenced the Louisiana Science Education Act, which encourages the teaching of alternatives to evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Arkansas legislature that would, if enacted, allow the unproven theories of intelligent design and creationism to be taught alongside evolution in schools.

A bill was introduced in the legislature that would, if enacted, require teachers to present “opposing points of view or belief” when discussing evolution, the origins of life, and global warming. There is no requirement in the bill that the opposing points of view or beliefs presented be scientifically valid, leading to concerns that teachers will discuss unproven or discredited scientific concepts.

The Indiana Senate passed a resolution urging support for the teaching of a diverse curriculum. Critics say this will undermine the integrity of science education, including by encouraging teachers to present a range of views on topics seen as controversial, such as evolution.

A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, allow residents to challenge teaching materials discussing evolution, climate change, and other topics they consider inappropriate.

A bill was introduced in the Texas legislature that would, if enacted, allow the State Board of Education to reject any science textbook or other instructional materials that it deems unsuitable. According to critics, this would allow the board to reject materials that discuss controversial scientific theories (e.g., climate change and evolution), even if they are factually correct.

A bill was introduced in the Oklahoma Senate that would, if enacted, prevent teachers being prohibited from discussing “the strengths and weaknesses” of any scientific theory. Critics say this will undermine science education, giving teachers greater scope to question proven scientific theories, and/or present alternative concepts that have been discredited or are unproven.

A bill was introduced in the Texas legislature that describes “climate change, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, and human closing” as “controversial” theories. The bill would, if enacted, give teachers greater scope to question these and other proven scientific theories.

The Texas State Board of Education voted preliminarily to retain language in its science education standards requiring students to consider “all sides” when discussing evolution. Critics say the requirement encourages the teaching of creationism as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

The Idaho House of Representatives Education Committee voted to remove references to “climate change” from draft science education standards.

A bill was introduced in the Florida legislature that would, if enacted, allow the discussion of religious beliefs in schools. Critics allege that the bill is intended to undermine the teaching of evolution and encourage discussion of creationism in schools.

A bill was introduced in the South Dakota legislature that would, if enacted, prevent teachers being prohibited from discussing “the strengths and weaknesses” of any scientific theory. Critics say this will undermine science education, giving teachers greater scope to question proven scientific theories, and/or present alternative concepts that have been discredited or are unproven.

Black Hawk College announced it would lay-off several faculty members, including a professor of geology, due to a lack of state funding.