Missouri Republicans have drafted a bill that would allow parents to pull their children from science classes that are teaching the theory of evolution. According to the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), Missouri’s House Bill 1472 would effectively “eviscerate” the teaching of biology in the state.

NCSE’s deputy director Glenn Branch said, “House Bill 1472 would eviscerate the teaching of biology in Missouri.”

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In a white paper written in 2008, Branch said, “Evolution inextricably pervades the biological sciences; it therefore pervades, or at any rate ought to pervade, biology education at the K–12 level. There simply is no alternative to learning about it; there is no substitute activity. A teacher who tries to present biology without mentioning evolution is like a director trying to produce Hamlet without casting the prince.”

HB 1472 is sponsored by Republican state Reps. Rick Brattin and Andy Koenig, who have authored pro-religion, anti-science legislation before, according to the NSCE.

The two conservatives have attempted to craft a number of bills that would order teachers in all public learning institutions — including colleges and junior colleges — to give “equal time” to the religious creationist theory of Intelligent Design. None of those measures have been successful.

[image of forbidden textbooks via Shutterstock.com]