The Arkansas Legislature is considering two extremely dangerous bills that would inject religion into public schools in your state. Please take a few moments to contact lawmakers and urge them to vote no on these proposed measures.
The first, SB 662, would designate the last Wednesday in September as a “Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students” and requires the governor to call on citizens to pray. Public schools exist to educate, not to proselytize. Children in public schools are a captive audience. Making prayer an official part of the school day is coercive and invasive.
The second, HB 1701, would “allow creationism to be taught as a theory of how the Earth came to be” in public schools. Evolution, like gravity, is a scientific fact. Teaching creationism as scientific fact in public schools is unconstitutional, as many courts have held. Passing this bill would cost taxpayers extensively when inevitable lawsuits are filed. Teaching that there is a scientific controversy about the validity of evolution or the Big Bang is akin to teaching astrology with astronomy or alchemy beside chemistry.
If you are a parent of an Arkansas public school student and are interested in being a part of a legal challenge in the event that this unconstitutional law permitting the teaching of creationism is passed, please email [email protected] to discuss the possibility with our legal team.
Each of these bills will soon be heard by the Arkansas Senate Education Committee, including a hearing on Monday, April 12, that will include SB 662. Please use our simple, automated system to contact all members of this committee and urge them to oppose these theocratic bills.
