Arkansas Considers Banning Purchase
of Books about Evolution Theory
The Arkansas House narrowly defeated March 23 a bill that would have prohibited the use of public funds to purchase any written material that the buyers “should have known” contain material that promotes “false evidences.” HB 2548 defines false evidences as scientific theories such as “the theory of the age of the earth [and] the origin of life.” The bill fell six votes shy of the 51-vote majority needed for passage.
“The question is whether we’re going to hold textbook publishers accountable for publishing information they know to be fraudulent,” Rep. Jim Holt (R-Springdale), the sponsor of HB 2548, told lawmakers before the vote. “We could go back to the flat-earth theory,” Rep. Jerry Taylor (D-Pine Bluff) protested.
Holt told the March 27 Little Rock Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he might soon reintroduce the bill. “This is my area of expertise,” he said, adding that he planned “to do more homework” on a separate bill addressing “history issues.”
Posted April 2, 2001.
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