Tennessee Governor Lets Bill On Science Teaching Become Law Without His Signature

The Tennessean reports that Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on Tuesday returned HB 368 to the legislature without either vetoing or signing it. The bill on teaching of controversial scientific topics, including evolution, global warming, the origins of life and human cloning, will thus become law without his signature. The bill (which passed the legislature by large majorities) encourages schools to help students "respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about scientific subjects required to be taught under the curriculum framework developed by the state board of education." It goes on to provide that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught within the curriculum framework developed by the state board of education." (See prior posting.) The governor said that the bill creates confusion, explaining:

I do not believe that this legislation changes the scientific standards that are taught in our schools or the curriculum that is used by our teachers. However, I also don’t believe that it accomplishes anything that isn’t already acceptable in our schools.