Chicken-Fried News: Adaptive legislation

Two state lawmakers, Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Colgate, are reviving previous efforts to get biblical creationism back in schools.

And then the state Legislature said, “Let there be ambiguity in the science classroom.”

Unfortunately for them, it isn’t quite that easy.

While Kern and Brecheen have shown skepticism toward the concept of biological evolution, their legislative attempts to open up classroom conversations show their own signs of adaptation. Both lawmakers had bills on the teaching of creationism fail in the past, and both leave the term out of their most recently filed attempts.

This time around, both take a “science is controversial” approach over a religious one. In recent legislative sessions, bills like these have not had an overwhelming track record of success, which is why they needed new phrasing.

Few things say, “Let’s get serious about the state’s financial crisis,” quite like poking the government’s nose a little further into classrooms. Indeed, lawmakers have a lot on their plates aside from the budget. More than 3,000 bills are eligible for consideration this session.

Until that day comes, Chicken-Fried News is always free.

Print headline: Adaptive legislation

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