House poised to adopt evolution bill different from Senate's version
(By JAMES A. SMITH SR., Executive Editor, Florida Baptist Witness, April 26, 2008)
The Florida House of Representatives approved by voice vote April 25 an amendment substituting its bill requiring schools to have "scientific critical analysis" of evolution in place of the Senate-passed evolution academic freedom bill.
Final passage of the House version is expected April 28. The House's approval of its different bill would require the Senate to revisit the contentious issue after a slim majority approved its evolution bill on April 23.
The radically different approaches on evolution clouds prospects that any legislation will be sent to the governor in the waning days of the annual legislative session.
Before the Senate adopted SB 2692, the "Evolution Academic Freedom Act," Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon), the bill sponsor, offered an amendment to replace her two-page bill with the 12-word, one sentence House bill, HB 1483, sponsored by Rep. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla). The Senate voted down Hays' bill on April 23.
Storms is a member of First Baptist Church in Brandon while Hays is a member of First Baptist Church in Umatilla.
While Storms' bill provides an express statutory right protection for teachers to present scientific information that is relevant to the full range of views on biological and chemical evolution, Hays' bill amends a current statute listing "approved methods of instruction" for public school teachers by adding, "A thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution."
During House consideration April 25, Hays agreed to accept an amendment offered by Rep. Martin Kiar (D-Parkland) adding "scientific" before "critical analysis" to clarify that only scientific critiques of evolution are permitted.
In an interview with Florida Baptist Witness reflecting on the competing versions in the House and Senate, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley said, "I'd be happy to take any language that gets out of here to get something done."
But Bunkley expressed skepticism that the House language can prevail in the Senate.
"Given the fact that the House language was already offered in the Senate in a full floor debate and rejected, it's highly doubtful that the Senate will take up the House language and adopt it, in my estimation," he noted.
Since Storms offered the House language during final consideration of the bill on the Senate floor, a two-thirds majority was needed for passage. The measure convincingly failed on a voice vote.
The Legislature has engaged in the evolution debate in response to new statewide science standards adopted by the Florida Board of Education in February asserting that evolution is the "the fundamental concept underlying all biology ... supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence." The new science standards go in effect this fall and will remain in place for ten years replace current standards that did not mention evolution, earning scorn from science education experts.
During the April 25 House debate, representatives rejected another amendment offered by Rep. Kiar that would have removed "critical analysis," which he asserted made the proposed law unconstitutional.
Members of the House debated Hays' bill and the broader question of human origins in a wide-ranging discussion, marked repeatedly by representatives' references to their own religious beliefs.
Rep. Juan-Carlos Planas (R-Miami) spoke to the House from the "angry center," asserting that the debate had focused on extremes represented by those who fail to acknowledge God and those who fail to recognize the reality of evolution.
"I believe in the theory of evolution, yet I believe that God is responsible for it," he said.
Acknowledging the education system and government "almost declared war on religion 30 years ago," Planas said, "By the same token we have all this evidence that scientifically tells us that the world was created by single cells that multiplied and divided and evolved into what we are today. And some consider the fact that we are evolving still."
Although the bill "seems innocuous," Rep. Shelley Vana (D-West Palm Beach) said "the folks who came to speak in favor of it all were very clear that they supported it because it allowed them to teach religion in the school system."
Rep. Keith Fitzgerald (D-Sarasota), speaking as an adherent to Catholic teaching on evolution, cited the story of Galileo being forced by the Roman Catholic Church to recant from his view that the earth revolved around the sun, even though he immediately after defiantly said, "Still, it moves."
Asserting most Catholics, Protestants and Jews have no problem with evolution, the bill is an "attack on your religious liberties," Fitzgerald said.
The debate was really about those "who are threatened by the scientific teaching of scientific doctrine. And they want to use the power of the state to impose on those people who have the duty to transmit knowledge about science doubt about something about which there is in fact no scientific doubt," he said.
Fitzgerald asserted there is "no scientific controversy about evolution.
Evolution is a mountain of facts linked by a set of coherent models and explanations," noting several scientific discoveries demonstrate the validity of evolution, including DNA.
"Are you going to step off the roof of the Capitol building today because gravity is just a theory? Of course not, because gravity is also based on fact. Evolution is a fact. Gravity is a fact. And the theory of evolution is well-established, even better well established in many respects than the theory of evolution," Fitzgerald said.
Urging opposition to the "foolish bill," Rep. Mary Brandenburg (D-Lake Worth) said, "I'm here to tell you folks that I am a Christian, a Roman Catholic. I believe in the theory of evolution and I believe that God started the process. Any one who understands the theory, the scientific theory of evolution, has just got to share my beliefs."
Calling the religious arguments against the bill "straw men" and "wild assertions," Rep. Kurt Kelly (R-Ocala), a deacon at First Baptist Church in Ocala and graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, told the House, "I really don't see what the big deal is."
Citing various Bible passages that point to God as creator and noting the bill does not require the teaching of such, Kelly said, "Scientifically, it is impossible to go back and replicate the origins.
Therefore, everyone is going to make a decision based upon some presuppositions."
Rep. Thad Altman (R-Melbourne) told the House, "It's frightening to me that when we have a scientific theory that is presented as fact and we want to have a law that prevents that theory from being critically analyzed - when we get to that point, what we are teaching is a religion in our schools."
Some members expressed concern the state won't be able to recruit and keep high-tech, scientific institutions if the Legislature adopts a bill questioning evolution, which is accepted by most scientists.
Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Davie) said a recent poll of American earth and life scientists found 99.85 of respondents "insist that theory of evolution is valid." Jenne did not name the poll.
Responding to Jenne later in the debate, Rep. Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel), asked, "If the evidence is so overwhelming, if it's so obvious, if the scientists are all pointing in the same direction that the theory of evolution is true, why are we scared to scientifically and critically analyze it in the classroom?"
Rep. Vana said Florida will not attract "bio-tech and high-tech, scientific jobs" by "making a u-turn and riding our bicycles back to the dark ages where we can't talk about sciences."
Minority leader Rep. Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach) told the House, "I have no idea why we're doing this bill," adding that the House should support the experts who crafted the new science standards.
"I have no earthly idea why we can't simply resist the impulse of getting involved in micromanaging schools when we set up an entire apparatus, Florida's constitution has set up an apparatus for doing exactly what you're trying to do," Gelber said.
Rep. Hays, sponsor of the House bill, told the body good scientists invite scrutiny of their theories. "What I'm trying to make sure with my bill is to make sure that
teachers can lead their students in that critical analysis of that theory," he said.
As to whether there is scientific controversy about evolution, Hays suggested members should see the Ben Stein documentary film, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," currently in theaters to see proof that some highly credentialed scientists have doubts about Darwinian evolution.
"If you think there's not dispute in the scientific community you are badly fooled. I've got some ocean-front property in Phoenix I'd like to sell you," Hays added.
The claim that the bill will allow religion in science classes "is nothing but a bunch of hot air," Hays said. "This does not allow for religious teaching in the classroom. It's about academic freedom."
In questioning from Rep. Gelber, Hays said the bill would not permit the teaching of Intelligent Design.
Kim Kendall, a St. Augustine stay-at-home mom and activist who has lobbied against the new science standards since October, told the Witness she was pleased that many representatives "truly understand" the bill, but she was "extremely taken aback" by Rep. Vana's remarks concerning the religious motives of supporters of the bill.
A member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Kendall said she met with Vana twice and was "stunned" by her comments, asserting, "It's one thing to change your position or differ in your own personal remarks, but to purposely misrepresent so many of us who took the time to drive to Tallahassee is shocking!"
