Texas Bill Would Outlaw Discrimination Against Creationists

[The Straight Story]

Texas Bill Would Outlaw Discrimination Against Creationists

Unlike many other states, Texas does not ban workplace discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status. But don't be alarmed; the Lone Star State is working on that whole civil liberties thing. Last week, Republican State Rep. Bill Zedler introduced HB 2454, a bill that would establish new workplace protections for proponents of intelligent design. Here's the key part:

An institution of higher education may not discriminate against or penalize in any manner, especially with regard to employment or academic support, a faculty member or student based on the faculty member's or student's conduct of research relating to the theory of intelligent design or other alternate theories of the origination and development of organisms.

And you thought Berkeley was crazy. On the upside, maybe the University of Texas will be able to help a few of the folks who are falling through Texas' fraying social safety net. Out of a job? Come up with an elaborate theory about how a flying spaghetti monster created the universe. A tenured professorship awaits.

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/03/texas-bill-would-outlaw-discrimination-against-creationists#

[old mark]

1. K&R- My sister lives in Texas and they always ask me when I am moving there, and I think about it,

and then Texas does crazy shit like this...And I stay in PA.

mark

[Loki]

2. Texas will create a whole new group of students

that won't be able to find a college that will recognize their "science" education as legit. Go Texas, keep shooting for the bottom. Yee Haw

[madrchsod]

3. 27 billion in debt and this is what they worry about?

maybe they figure their god will bail them out of the hole they are in..

[Ilsa]

5. This and putting pregnant women seeking abortion through a demeaning

And invasion test called a transvaginal ultrasound.

And screwing with K-12 education instead of addressing the shortfall. I'm sure there are other pieces of nonsense under discussion.

Our prioritites in the state lege are completely out of whack.

[chemp]

4. "...or other alternate theories of the origination and development of organisms."

Whoo-boy. This could lead to interesting (correct) answers on biology tests.

[Godhumor]

7. Actually, I don't think it is possible to get an answer wrong on a biology test if this passes

Other than to leave it blank. Literally anything could be presented as an alternative "theory" (How did life form? A: The moon farted. Full credit!)

[Bill McBlueState]

6. what's next, protection for Holocaust deniers?

Exactly how many kinds of evidence do you get to ignore and still get a free pass at Texas universities?

[struggle4progress]

8. How about something for the Flat Earthers? And what about the Geocentrists?

Why isn't research into Alien Abduction covered in the bill?

[The Straight Story]

9. I could go along with Alien Abduction part, especially if they inserted something about anal probes

:evilgrin: