Published by admin on 13 Jul 2011
Louisiana: The Cartoon State
By Barbara Forrest
OK, readers, who knows what these two pictures have in common?
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Author Archive
Published by admin on 24 Jun 2011
Announcement: Louisiana HB 580 is dead.
By Barbara Forrest
The Louisiana Coalition for Science (LCFS) is pleased to announce the demise of HB 580, which is official with the adjournment of the Louisiana legislature today, June 23, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. This legislation was, by every indication, nothing more than an attempt to reverse the Louisiana Family Forum’s defeat in its effort to block the approval of new biology textbooks for Louisiana public schools in fall 2010. However, even though HB 580 was another stealth creationism bill, no subject of instruction in public schools would have been safe from its effects. Continue Reading »
Published by admin on 18 Jun 2011
“An End Run on Textbooks” — Advocate got it right
By Barbara Forrest
The Baton Rouge Advocate has a great editorial today about Rep. Frank Hoffman’s HB 580, about which the LCFS sent out a press release [pdf] and a detailed analysis [pdf] on June 13. (See LCFS post, June 10, 2011.) The Advocate has it right: this bill does an end run around the established textbook review and adoption process that the Louisiana Family Forum has been trying unsuccessfully to thwart since 2002.
Published by admin on 10 Jun 2011
Press Release: HB 580 — yet another Louisiana stealth creationism bill (no, seriously).
By Barbara Forrest
Friends, we at the Louisiana Coalition for Science would like to be able to say that we are pulling your leg. But we’re not. Louisiana is about to enact into law yet another stealth creationism bill in the form of HB 580 — unless the Senate finally decides to put a stop to this foolishness within the next 13 days when the current legislative session (mercifully) comes to an end. HB 580 passed in the House of Representatives on June 8 with a vote [pdf] of 87 yays, 5 nays, and 13 abstentions. (Thank you, Rep. Walt Leger, Rep. Patricia Haynes-Smith, Rep. Regina Barrow, Rep. Barbara Norton, and Rep. Charmaine Marchand Stiaes.) Louisiana is the embodiment of one of the cardinal rules that every pro-science citizen has to learn: CREATIONISTS NEVER GIVE UP. To which we now add a corollary: CREATIONISTS WANT IT ALL. Louisiana creationists were given the proverbial inch in the form of the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA), and since 2008 they have been industriously grabbing their mile.
Published by admin on 04 May 2011
Letters and Statements of Support for Repeal of LA Science Education Act (Updated)
The Louisiana Coalition for Science is pleased to post (in alphabetic order) the following statements and letters of support [pdf] for the repeal of the creationist Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (added on May 6, 2011)
- American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
- American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
- Clergy Letter Project (added on May 7, 2011)
- Louisiana Association of Biology Educators (LABE)
- Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA)
- National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT)
- Paul Gross and Lawrence Lerner statements
- Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), cosigned by Society of Systematic Biologists and American Society of Naturalists
Along with Zack Kopplin, we thank all of these organizations and individuals for their support of the repeal effort. Should we receive additional letters and statements, we will update this post.
Copyright © 2010. Louisiana Coalition for Science. All rights reserved.
Published by admin on 29 Apr 2011
Video of Rally for Repeal of LA Science Education Act
For readers who were not able to attend the rally at the Capitol today, Zack has posted his YouTube video.
WAFB also ran a video news segment about the rally. Earlier in the day, Zack was interviewed on the Jim Engster Show on WRKF. Darrell White of the Louisiana Family Forum was included in this interview.
In addition to Zack, who delivered an address to attendees, Dr. Ian Binns spoke on behalf of the Louisiana Coalition for Science. Dr. Kevin Carman, Dean of the College of Science at Louisiana State University, also offered remarks. The Louisiana Coalition for Science thanks both Dr. Binns and Dr. Carman for participating.
Most of all, we thank Zack Kopplin for taking on the task of seeking repeal of the stealth creationist law that should never have been passed. The Louisiana legislature should care enough about what the rest of our fellow Americans think of our state by getting it off the books. But most of all, they should care enough about the education of young people like Zack, who has done what every responsible adult in Louisiana should be doing.
Thank you, Zack.
Copyright © 2010. Louisiana Coalition for Science. All rights reserved.
Published by admin on 23 Apr 2011
Rally at Capitol to support SB 70: Repeal of Louisiana Science Education Act
By Barbara Forrest
On Thursday, April 28, Zack Kopplin will hold a rally at the Capitol in Baton Rouge in support of SB 70, a bill sponsored by Senator Karen Carter Peterson (thank you Senator Peterson!) to repeal the creationist Louisiana Science Education Act, which was passed in 2008. Zack has a Facebook page with information about the rally, and he has information about the repeal effort at Repealcreationism.com. On April 22, Zack was interviewed by WBRZ in Baton Rouge. This young man is doing what every responsible adult in the state of Louisiana should be doing — petitioning the legislature to correct the mistake they made in 2008 by letting themselves be cowed by the threat of political hardball by the Louisiana Family Forum.
Published by admin on 22 Apr 2011
42 Nobel Laureates Support SB 70
The following letter has been sent to the Louisiana legislature and to Gov. Bobby Jindal. (Reproduced from Repealcreationism.com, posted by Zack Kopplin, April 21, 2011)
42 Nobel Laureates Call for a Repeal of the LSEA
Published by admin on 18 Apr 2011
Press Release: Louisiana Coalition for Science supports SB 70 to repeal Louisiana Science Education Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / Louisiana Coalition for Science / http://lasciencecoalition.org
Download press release [pdf]
Louisiana Coalition for Science Supports SB 70 to Repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act
Baton Rouge, LA, April 18, 2011 — In solidarity with Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior Zachary Kopplin’s effort to repeal the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act (www.repealcreationism.com), the Louisiana Coalition for Science supports Senator Karen Carter Peterson’s bill, SB 70, which will repeal the law in its entirety. In the interest of Louisiana public school students, the legislature should pass the bill and Gov. Jindal should sign it. (See http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/byinst.asp?sessionid=11RS&billid=SB70&doctype=ALL.)
Published by admin on 03 Apr 2011
Did Louisiana Family Forum’s prayer network malfunction?
By Barbara Forrest
For the three years since the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA) was enacted, the Louisiana Coalition for Science has hammered constantly on the fact that the LSEA is a creationist law. The Louisiana Family Forum (LFF) has consistently denied this. But other people who share the same political and religious views as the LFF seem to have their own ideas concerning what this law is all about. Maybe the LFF’s memo didn’t get sent out widely enough through the prayer network . . . or the divine communication channels broke down . . . or something.