Professional Biologists' Group Boycotts Louisiana Over Science Education Law

AP reported yesterday that the professional group, The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, has written Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (full text of letter), informing him that it has not chosen New Orleans for its 2011 meeting largely because of Louisiana's enactment of a law last year that allows teachers to supplement standard science texts with supplemental materials. Some argue that the provision will be used to introduce religious views opposed to evolution into science classes, despite statutory language barring its use to promote religious doctrines. (See prior posting.) The Feb. 5 letter to Gov. Jindal reads in part:

The Executive Committee voted to hold the 2011 meeting in Salt Lake City in large part because of legislation SB 561, which you signed into law in June 2008. It is the firm opinion of SICB's leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana.

The letter goes on to point out that Utah, by contrast, has passed a resolution saying that evolution is central to any science curriculum. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]