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Louisiana Science Education Act


The Louisiana Science Education Act, Act 473 (SB733) of 2008 is a controversial law passed by the Louisiana Legislature on June 11, 2008 and signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal on June 25. The act allows public school teachers to use supplemental materials in the science classroom which are critical of theories such as the theory of evolution and global warming.Louisiana was the first state to have passed a law of this type.

Proponents of the law state that it is meant to promote critical thinking and improve education. State Senator Ben Nevers said the law is intended to allow educators to create an environment that "(promotes) critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussions of scientific theories such as evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning."

Critics argue that SB733 simply opens a backdoor to teaching creationism in public schools, which is illegal under federal law.Alan Leshner, the executive publisher of Science, condemned the bill as the "latest effort to insert religious, unscientific views into science classrooms." Leshner stated the bill would, "unleash an assault against scientific integrity, leaving students confused about science and unprepared to excel in a modern workforce."

In 2010, high school student Zack Kopplin launched a high-profile campaign sponsored by Louisiana State Senator Karen Carter Peterson to repeal the law. Kopplin's campaign has been endorsed by 78 Nobel laureates, the New Orleans City Council, and more than a dozen scientific and educational associations. Bills to repeal the LSEA have failed to advance past the Senate Education committee five years in a row from 2011 through 2015.


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