It’s the story that never seems to end. But there may finally be a happy ending.

Earlier this year, third-grader Olivia McConnell wrote to her state representatives asking them to make the Wooly Mammoth South Carolina’s official state fossil.

After a couple of holdups, it looked like there were no objections and the bill would go through… but the version of the bill that passed through the State House contained a ridiculous amendment:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: SECTION 1. Article 9, Chapter 1, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding: “Section 1-1-712A. The Columbian Mammoth, which was created on the Sixth Day with the other beasts of the field, is designated as the official State Fossil of South Carolina and must be officially referred to as the ‘Columbian Mammoth’, which was created on the Sixth Day with the other beasts of the field.”

That untrue, unscientific, twice-mentioned Creationist addition was the work of Sen. Kevin Bryant (a Republican, of course) who derailed the bill from the outset by trying to stick a full Bible passage in it. While that amendment was thrown out, this one somehow was accepted.

There’s finally some good news to report.

The SC House didn’t like that amendment. They rejected it and the bill had to be revised. On Tuesday, a new version of the bill was presented and this one doesn’t have any of the religious language:

Whereas, giant mammoths used to roam South Carolina; and Whereas, scientists have identified the fossils of about six hundred and fifty species of vertebrates in South Carolina to date; and Whereas, it has been recognized that fossilized mammoth teeth were discovered in a swamp in South Carolina in 1725; and Whereas, this discovery has been credited as the first scientific identification of a North American vertebrate fossil. Now, therefore, Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding: “Section 1-1-691. The Columbian Mammoth is designated as the official State Fossil of South Carolina.”

Science for the win!

Rachel Maddow shared the story on her show last night:

(via Raw Story. Top image via Shutterstock. Portions of this article have been posted before.)



