A few weeks ago, Derplahoman fan-favorite Josh Brecheen introduced SB 393 in the Oklahoma Senate. Just like bills he filed in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, it would permit Oklahoma teachers to turn their classrooms into glorified vacation bible schools by giving them the freedom to teach alternative, Christian-based scientific theories that are not supported by any type of legitimate science.
Naturally, the bill is called the Oklahoma Science Act. Here's a brief description from the National Center for Science Education:
Senate Bill 393 (PDF), styled the Oklahoma Science Education Act, is the latest antievolution bill in the Sooner State. SB 393 would, if enacted, in effect encourage science teachers with idiosyncratic opinions to teach anything they pleased — proponents of creationism and climate change denial are the usual intended beneficiaries of such bills — and discourage responsible educational authorities from intervening. No scientific topics are specifically identified as controversial, but the fact that the sole sponsor of SB 393 is Josh Brecheen (R-District 6), who introduced similar legislation that directly targeted evolution in previous legislative sessions, is suggestive.
SB 393 would require state and local educational authorities to "assist teachers to find effective ways to present the science curriculum as it addresses scientific controversies" and permit teachers to "help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught"; it would prevent such authorities from "prohibit[ing] any teacher in a public school district in this state from helping students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught."
As the NCSE points out, this is the seventh year in a row that Josh has introduced some version of this bill. Considering his other proposals never made it out of committee, you would think Josh would evolve and move along to some other topic. Then again, evolution is a myth created by scientists in an attempt to discredit the origin story of Christianity, so I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised.
