Louisiana Coalition for Science

New Mexicans for Science and Reason (NMSR) is one of the most dedicated, effective pro-science groups in the United States. Since 1996, they have successfully defended the teaching of evolution in New Mexico public schools against the Religious Right’s repeated attacks. Two NMSR members, physicists David Thomas and Kim Johnson, also do a weekly radio program, Science Watch, which airs each Saturday afternoon on KABQ AM 1350 Progressive Talk in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Concerned about the attack on science education in Louisiana by the Discovery Institute and the Louisiana Family Forum, Science Watch has done two interviews with Barbara Forrest about Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signing the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA). The first interview, “Statehouse Statue: Creationist Legislation Update,” on March 14, 2009, was intended to update listeners about the Discovery Institute’s promotion of its model “academic freedom” legislation in state legislatures around the country.  The audio clip is posted here (14 minutes, 19.5 MB mp3). The second Science Watch interview, “What Hath Jindal Done? Scary News from Louisiana,” on October 31, 2009, reflects the seriousness with which NMSR views what creationists have done to our state. This interview includes an update on the creationist-influenced policy that was adopted in September 2009 by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education governing the filing of complaints about materials used in Louisiana science classes. The audio clip is posted here (11 minutes, 15.3 MB mp3).

These interviews are posted so that Louisiana citizens will know that what has happened here has captured the attention of our fellow citizens around the country. They support us, but they are dumbfounded that Louisiana has once again passed creationist legislation after having precipitated the U. S. Supreme Court decision, Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) with the passage of the “Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act” in 1981.

REMINDER: Readers with information that creationist materials are being used in Louisiana public school science classes should contact the Louisiana Coalition for Science.