Minnesota bill would ban teaching "intelligent design"

Just before the omnibus education bill, Senate File 2994, was approved by the Minnesota state senate by a 39-27 vote on May 15, 2006, it was amended to provide, "Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the Department of Education, a charter school, and a school district are prohibited from utilizing a nonscientifically based curriculum, such as intelligent design, to meet the required science academic standards under this section." The amendment was proposed by Senator Lawrence J. Pogemiller (DFL-District 59). The counterpart of SF 2994 in the House of Representatives, House File 3179, contains no such provision, so presumably the two versions of the bill will have to be reconciled by a conference committee if the House rejects the amendment. The current legislative session ends on May 22, 2006. SF 2994 is the second bill that would ban the teaching of "intelligent design" to be introduced in a state legislature during 2006; the other, Wisconsin's Assembly Bill 1143, died in committee on May 4, 2006.