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(Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Legislation that would allow Alabama educators to teach alternatives to mainstream scientific theories like evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning was introduced late last month in the House of Representatives.

The bill is similar to controversial legislation, nicknamed the 'monkey bill,' that passed in Tennessee in 2012; Louisiana also has a comparable law. Critics of those laws said it would open the door for science teachers to teach creationism, which is unconstitutional.

The ACLU of Alabama is already speaking out against the bill introduced by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City. The bill has yet to be considered in committee.

"This is a thinly-veiled attempt to open the door to religious fanatics who don't believe in evolution, climate change or other scientifically-based teaching in our schools," said Susan Watson, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. "It also opens Alabama to costly litigation that it just cannot afford."

Butler couldn't immediately be reached for comment on the bill.

The legislation states that some science coursework "may cause debate and disputation including, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, and human cloning. Some teachers may be unsure of the expectation concerning how they should present information when debate and disputation occur on these subjects."

Butler's bill would "allow public school teachers to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of all existing scientific theories covered in a science course."

Josh Rosenau, National Center for Science Education's programs and policy director, said laws like the one an Alabama lawmaker is proposing is a "nudge away from teaching what the state science standards, what national education and science organizations all say, which is evolution is the foundation of modern biology and has to be the foundation of a biology class."

He said there isn't a need for the law. It would make it harder for school administrators and teachers "to stand up for the standards and what they know the best science to be."

Updated with additional information at 12:53 p.m.