From the Tennessean story:
...it encourages students to question accepted scientific theories — listing as examples evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming and cloning — and it protects teachers from punishment if they teach creationism.
Ugh. So any backwoods teacher who wants to sprinkle in their homespun theories on science are now going to have free reign.
To his (somewhat) credit, Republican governor Bill Haslam did not sign the bill, instead allowing it to become law without his signature. In Tennessee, it takes only a simple majority to override a veto, so he knew it wouldn't stand. Of course, had he really been strongly against it he could have signed it as a show of protest...but this is the politically more palatable solution.
Also making its way through the legislature is a bill that would basically make it impossible for teachers to teach any kind of sex education -- anything other than abstinence, that is. Abstinence from anything.....
The bill would require a "family life education curriculum" that prohibits the promotion of contraception and "any gateway sexual activity or health message that encourages students to experiment with non-coital sexual activity."
The proposal also creates legal penalties for teachers who go beyond the curriculum to encourage students in ways aside from abstinence. Parents or legal guardians would "have a cause of action against the instructor or organization for actual damages."
With a vague term like "gateway sexual activity," and the threat of a lawsuit, there is no way a teacher could teach any sex ed class -- any classroom discussion might open them to a lawsuit.
Two more reasons I'm actually glad I've moved from that state, even if I did move to an only slightly more tolerant one.
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