Yea for Texas!

Two anti-evolution bills in Texas have died in committee! "Antievolution bills die in Texas!" reported by the NCSE.

Actually I was more worried about the first one than the second. The second was a typical Strengths and Weaknesses bill, nothing new there. After all the publicity over Don McElroy, I was hoping it would die a quick death in committee.

The first bill, as I wrote about here (http://sciencestandards.blogspot.com/2009/03/texas-on-different-but-related-subject.html ) would have given groups, such as the institute for Creation Research (ICR) the right to award Master's of Science Degrees without any oversight at all. The Texas School Board and Texas Education Agency would have no control. Can we say 'diploma mill'? All this was a result of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) refusing the ICR permission to award such degrees. Suddenly they would have lost the authority to do so.

Now this fight isn't over! Texas should have two issues on their radar screen. The first is that the ICR is suing the THECB as well.(http://sciencestandards.blogspot.com/2009/04/hasnt-texas-had-enough.html )
All because they unanimously ... let me repeat that ... unanimously ... denied the ICR's request for a state certificate of authority to offer the MS in Science degree.

The second is who the Governor is going to pick to replace McElroy! If it is Cynthia Dunbar, as previously hinted at, the State could just be looking at a new face with the same McElroyish actions.