Indiana antiscience resolution passes the Senate

Indiana's Senate Resolution 17, which targets the teaching of evolution in Indiana's public schools, was passed on a 40-9 vote by the Senate on February 27, 2017. 

SR 17 ostensibly urges the state department of education "to reinforce support of teachers who choose to teach a diverse curriculum." But evolution is clearly the target. The language of the resolution repeats the so-called Santorum language from the report to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 — "Where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution), that the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics can generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society" — and its initial sponsors, Jeff Raatz (R-District 27) and Dennis Kruse (R-District 14), have a history of introducing antievolution legislation in Indiana, as NCSE previously reported

SR 17 is a non-binding resolution with no legal force; a similar measure, House Joint Resolution 78, is presently under consideration by the Alabama House Rules Committee.