Just a slight twist on the words of Orleans’s popular song accurately describes Louisiana’s position at the top of the charts concerning the “academic freedom” bills that the Discovery Institute has been peddling in various and sundry states around the country. The results are in concerning this year’s roster of academic freedom bills:  Louisiana is still the one — the only one with a law on the books [pdf], Act 473, the “Louisiana Science Education Act,” permitting teachers to use creationist supplements in our public school science classes (a fact that the young-earth Institute for Creation Research has noted approvingly).

Actually, we’re not having that much fun down here at the moment. Gov. Jindal wants to cut $219 million from higher education, dealing a devastating blow to the state’s public universities just when they have been recovering in recent years from similar cuts made in the 1980s. Four of the state’s former governors actually met with Jindal in person to urge him to reconsider (such a meeting is highly unusual). The fact that Jindal is even contemplating such drastic cuts to higher education is indicative of the misplaced priorities in the Pelican State. His appointees enjoy very high salaries (which he made sure to give them last year), and legislators continue the time-honored Louisiana tradition of maintaining a slush fund, despite the fact that higher education and health care for the poor must go begging. But back to the matter at hand . . .

Concerning the six “academic freedom” bills introduced in 2009, the creationists at the Discovery Institute are batting zero. Without the kind assistance of the Louisiana legislature and Bobby Jindal, they would have earned the same score in 2008. Here’s the scorecard for “academic freedom” bills introduced in 2009:

(1) Oklahoma SB 320: Died in committee

(2) Iowa House File 183: Died in committee

(3) Alabama HB 300: Died in committee

(4) New Mexico SB 433: Died in committee

(5) Missouri HB 656: Died without even being assigned to a committee

(6) Texas HB 4224: Died upon adjournment of the legislature on June 1. Texas (yes, Texas!) had the good sense to let both this bill and another one, HB 2800, die. HB 2800 would have allowed the Institute for Creation Research to offer a master’s degree in science education.

So there we have it. Louisiana is still number one in promoting the use of bogus teaching materials in our children’s science classes. We at the Louisiana Coalition for Science love our state, and we can take some comfort in knowing that our science teachers have better sense than our government. As for school boards and the very few teachers who may be inclined to make use of the new law, we’re watching.