Bad news … again

In a move that now sends the deceptively named “academic freedom” bill to the Florida Senate floor, the Senate judiciary committee voted 6-3 to approve it. It looks like some Democrats can see the potential (almost guaranteed) lawsuit pitfalls to come, but the bill marches on nonetheless. I’ll have more later …

About Brandon Haught

Communications Director for Florida Citizens for Science.
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24 Responses to Bad news … again

  1. Poptart says:

    Thank you, Ted Deutch. You actually do represent my view on this issue.

    The bill is broad and looks to invite law suits. And anyway, if schools are going to allow any answer as long as the student believes it to be true, then why bother going to school? Just let the kids’ beliefs serve as knowledge.

  2. This is great news. I still don’t understand why the evolanders are against academic freedom.

  3. Satanists of Florida says:

    We are happy that the senate committee took a stand for us, the Satanists of Florida, and for our view that the devil created all life on earth.
    This is a great step towards teaching our children the alternatives to evolution.
    Intelligent design is the notion that the world may have been designed by Satan.
    As Satanists we are enthusiastic that this idea can finally be taught in school.
    Bravo!

  4. Karl says:

    And therein lies a most interesting point: Satanists are by definition, believers of Christianity too… they just tend to focus more on different passages of the bible… Bravo indeed.

  5. S.Scott says:

    I want names please ?!! How do we find out -who voted which way?

  6. ActI says:

    Yeah yeah “satanists of Florida” nice try. who is it really ? PC Bash ?

  7. ActI says:

    Actually satanists push evolution more than anyone else.

  8. Eric K says:

    S. Scott:

    The “Evolution Academic Freedom Act” was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 6-3 vote. It next goes to the full Senate for consideration, although no date has yet been set.

    Casting votes against the bill were Democratic Sens. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton, Steve Geller of Cooper City and Jeremy Ring of Parkland. The committee’s six Republicans voted in favor of the measure.

    Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, said she filed the bill after hearing cases of students and teachers who felt “muzzled” and unable to discuss alternate theories in the classroom. She said teachers have suffered retribution from school authorities, and students have been the target of “denigrating comments” from other teachers.

    from: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0408evolutionbill,0,5430772.story

  9. S.Scott says:

    Thank you Eric. Do you know if it was passed with the
    “Significant Changes” ?

  10. guthrie says:

    Gahhh, idiot trolls are everywhere.

  11. Jason says:

    The Acedemic Freedom Act has passed muster in many states. Not one court has overthrown this act in any of them.

  12. Jonathan Smith says:

    Satanists of Florida:

    I do not think the devil created life,but he obviously does create all evil.
    Thats why they call it EVILution!!!

  13. Ivy Mike says:

    The only “academic freedom” the proponents of this bill are interested in is the “freedom” to preach Christianity as somehow scientific. It’s a cynical, underhanded attempt to, once again, convert public schools into taxpayer-funded evangelical churches. They know it, we know it, and hell, everyone with a passing interest knows it.

    They’re just hoping that those who don’t pay much attention to educational matters will key on the “academic freedom” label and support it because it’s a nice, comfy-sounding name.

    Academic standards? Modern science? Florida as a high-tech Mecca? Nah. The proponents couldn’t care less about these things. All they want is that extra opportunity to preach to young children. Well, that, and to use MY tax dollars to do it.

  14. Satanists of Florida says:

    Jonathan,
    we Satanists are on your side for this issue, and we like lies and controversy, too.
    But you should respect our desire to teach all sides of intelligent design, and all options who the designer is. If you listen carefully to William Dembski, you will realize he is a closet-satanist, he’s always afraid of mentioning the three-letter word starting with G or the five-letter word starting with J. And Dembski certainly holds the opinion that Intelligent design is the notion that the world may have been designed by Satan.

  15. James F says:

    I still haven’t heard alternate theories. Anyone? Of course it’s not a fair question, since there are no alternate scientific theories. In science, untested ideas don’t qualify as theories. Teach the accuracy!

    I’d actually give Sen. Storms a modicum of respect if she just admitted she wants creationism taught in public school science classes.

  16. Ivy Mike says:

    Hell, James, I’m still waiting to hear what all these “weaknesses of evolution” are that they keep beeping about. I’m willing to bet that any they come up with have already been destroyed multiple times on talkorigins.

  17. Ivy Mike says:

    “Thats why they call it EVILution!!!”

    No, Jonathan, “they” call it that because “they” (meaning, anti-science fundies) think it’s cute. Actually, it’s pretty damned dumb. It also exposes their agenda.

  18. Jason says:

    The evolutionists are afraid of anything that is spiritual and rightly so.

  19. James F says:

    Just a friendly reminder. Over 11,000 Christian clergy supporting evolution:

    http://www.evolutionsunday.com/

    It’s pro-science vs. anti-science, not science vs. religion.

  20. Ivy Mike says:

    Hey, Jason…what is it that YOU guys are afraid of? I mean, if your beliefs were SOoo true, SOoo wonderful and great, why don’t you just come out and call your bills “The Preach Inerrant Biblical Christianity In Public School, Amen” Act? Why the “academic freedom” subterfuge, when you and I both know that’s the last thing you really want?

    I mean, If I were to spend time in a science class telling the students all the REAL contradictions, failed prophesies, and physically-impossible stuff your religion puts out; in other words, “teaching the weaknesses” as it were, you and your fundie buddies would be screaming for my scalp.

    So, why the BS? Why the subterfuge? Why aren’t you all PROUD to be fightin’ the good fight for Jayzuz?

    What’s the matter, there, Sport? AFRAID that if you admitted honestly what you REALLY want, the folks would laugh you out of the room and possibly Baker-Act you? Do you, deep down, know how idiotic and paranoid your agenda truly is?

    Oh, and BTW, people who accept science (that’s what you really meant when you said “evolutionist”) aren’t afraid of anything “spiritual”…it’s those who actually believe in that stuff that bother us. Y’all have something of a track record to consider.

  21. Paul R says:

    It appears that the bill may have survived Judiciary intact…if so does it get referred out to Senate or another committee?

    Please if you have not done so already, consider signing my petition to Speaker Rubio – it appears that with the Senate acting first, it is likely to be fast-tracked in the House once the Senate is done with it. Thanks…Paul

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/flhouse-science/index.html

    PS – interestingly – every time this Bill gets a hearing, the ads on ipetitions’ web site start showing ads to Ben Stein’s movie on my petition site – nice to know that they are so supportive. Please don’t let these ads fool you – the petition is real and is designed to express our displeasure with SB 2692 and its House counterpart.

  22. If this “Academic Freedom” tide keeps rising, it will soon be the Coalition of the Sane which will be pulling our kids from the public schools to home-school.

    I mean, really, this sort of thing opens the science classes to any post-modernist position that teachers may want to take. Teachers and students will be free to claim that Scientology is based on science and use their faith to back it up. New agers will be free to claim that crystals contain the real energy of life. Raelians will be able to talk about the virtues of human cloning to help escape our human condition. How far would they be willing to take this before a Christian Fundametalist realizes that rubbing the Genie Lamp of Academic Freedom had some major unintended consequences.

    Whether Jason or William Wallace care about education or not, the reason that “evolutionists” are against this is because it renders science education meaningless.

  23. martin slater says:

    What are the details of the bill?

  24. PC-Bash says:

    Yeah yeah “satanists of Florida” nice try. who is it really ? PC Bash ?

    Umm… no.

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