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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Senate on Monday gave final approval to an amended version of a bill that dictates what state science teachers can say about the origins of human life.
The 16-12 vote mirrored an initial approval given on Friday and moves the bill to the House for consideration. Bill sponsor, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, missed the vote.
The bill was amended to clear up the question of whether Buttars' bill mandates the state school board to add instruction on "origins of life" to state curricula. Currently, state biology classes teach about the evolution of species but do not address the origins or evolution of man.
But Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said his amendment "makes it clear that this is not a mandate," inserting the sentence "IF instruction IS GIVEN to students on any theory regarding the origins of life, or the origins or present state of the human race, THEN THAT INSTRUCTION shall stress that not all scientists agree on which theory is correct."
Democrats disagreed and pressed Bramble to clarify how a teacher would be expected to handle a question from students on alternatives theories.
"Is it incumbent upon the teacher then to say, here are the other theories and here's what the problem is with that?" asked Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City. "Is it up to the school board to dictate how that question is answered?"
"It just says 'if'," Bramble responded, but then said the bill does say directly that curricula about origins of life "shall be established."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
