TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—With narrow defeats for pro-life and evolution academic freedom legislation during the 60-day Florida legislative session, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley highlighted the positive by pointing to the failure of gambling expansion bills as a “huge win for families.”

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate today approved without objection a motion offered by Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) to reject the evolution bill adopted by the Florida House of Representatives.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Although both chambers of the Florida Legislature have adopted legislation that sponsors believe will protect the academic freedom of public school teachers and students addressing evolution, the adoption of significantly different bills leaves passage in doubt in the final days of the legislative session.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida House of Representatives approved by voice vote April 25 an amendment substituting its bill requiring schools to have “scientific critical analysis” of evolution in place of the Senate-passed evolution academic freedom bill.

Updated 11:30 a.m. April 24

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted on April 23 by a vote of 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools. The prospects of the measure remain in doubt after the House sponsor of its academic freedom bill said he will push his significantly different version in the House next week.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted today 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate adopted today by a vote of 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida’s public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—The Florida Senate debated a bill to protect academic freedom of teachers and students who wish to consider criticisms of evolution April 17, focusing repeatedly on concerns the measure will allow Intelligent Design to be taught in public school classrooms.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) — The Florida Senate debated a bill to protect academic freedom of teachers and students who wish to consider criticisms of evolution April 17, focusing repeatedly on concerns the measure will allow Intelligent Design to be taught in public school classrooms.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) has been surprised by the personal attacks of those who oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teachers and students addressing evolution.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – A bill to protect academic freedom of teachers and students in public schools when addressing evolution passed a second Senate committee April 8 and is poised for its first House committee hearing April 11.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) has been surprised by the extremely personal attacks she has been subjected to by those who support evolution and oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teaches and students addressing evolution.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Florida legislators got a taste of Hollywood March 12 as actor-comedian Ben Stein brought his controversial film “Expelled” to Tallahassee to help lobby in favor of legislation to allow academic freedom when evolution is taught in Florida public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Florida legislators got a taste of Hollywood March 12 as actor-comedian Ben Stein brought his controversial film “Expelled” to Tallahassee to help lobby in favor of legislation to allow academic freedom when evolution is taught in Florida public schools.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Rejecting advice from both sides in the evolution debate, the Florida Board of Education voted 4-3 on Feb. 19 to add “scientific theory of” before each reference to “evolution” in new science standards for public schools in the Sunshine State.

It’s too bad members of the Florida Board of Education had not seen Ben Stein’s forthcoming movie “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” before its Feb. 19 vote to reject an academic freedom amendment to the state’s science standards. If the members ever do see the movie, I have to believe at least one of the four who voted against academic freedom will wish he or she had another opportunity to fix the standards’ silence concerning permitting scientific critiques of Darwinian evolution in the state’s K-12 public schools.

On Nov. 19, a battle took place in Tallahassee. Those of us involved in that skirmish walked away with different versions of what had taken place. Even members of the news media had conflicting views of what had actually been decided. As to who won and who lost this battle—everyone lost something, but the biggest losers were the students in Florida’s public schools. They lost some privileges and they lost some rights. To better understand what was at stake, it is essential that one understand the power of the Sunshine State Standards.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—An evolution compromise approved Feb. 19 by the State Board of Education was the best that could be achieved in that body but legislative action to protect academic freedom of teachers offering criticisms of Darwinian evolution is possible, House Speaker Marco Rubio told Florida Baptist Witness in a Feb. 20 interview.

On Nov. 19, a battle took place in Tallahassee. Those of us involved in that skirmish walked away with different versions of what had taken place. Even members of the news media had conflicting views of what had actually been decided. As to who won and who lost this battle – everyone lost something, but the biggest losers were the students in Florida’s public schools. They lost some privileges and they lost some rights. To better understand what was at stake, it is essential that one understand the power of the Sunshine State Standards.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – An evolution compromise approved on Feb. 19 by the State Board of Education was the best that could be achieved in that body but legislative action to protect academic freedom of teachers offering criticisms of Darwinian evolution is possible, House Speaker Marco Rubio told Florida Baptist Witness in a Feb. 20 interview.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Rejecting advice from both sides in the evolution debate, the Florida Board of Education voted 4-3 on Feb. 19 to add “scientific theory of” before each reference to “evolution” in new science standards for public schools in the Sunshine State.

JACKSONVILLE (FBW) – The top executive of the Florida Baptist Convention has entered the growing debate regarding proposed science standards, urging the Florida Board of Education to oppose the proposal unless the teaching of evolution includes scientific criticisms of the controversial theory.

WASHINGTON (BP)–In recent years, Feb. 12 has been celebrated not just for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday but for Charles Darwin’s as well.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Department of Education announced Feb. 14 limited public comment will be received at the Feb. 19 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting in Tallahassee in which proposed science standards will be considered, reversing its prior position that comment would not be permitted at the meeting.

ORLANDO (FBW) – Kim Kendall is “just” a mom with a busy life taking care of her two kids who are students in the St. Johns County public school system and her husband. But the former air traffic controller has orchestrated a growing chorus of opponents to proposed science standards for Florida’s public schools that will make Darwinian evolution a central feature without any acknowledgement of contrary views.

With only days left before the Florida Board of Education meets Feb. 19 to consider new science standards that would require public schools to adopt an evolution-as-dogma approach, members of the Board have received good advice to correct this 10-year-document both from a drafter of the standards as well as persons on the outside. For the sake of our state, and especially for the sake of our children, let’s hope and pray the Board implements this advice.

Editor’s note: This statement was given at a public hearing on the proposed science standards for Florida held in Jacksonville last month.

In spite of growing concern and opposition, Florida education leaders are on the brink of requiring an evolution-as-dogma approach to teaching origins in public schools in the Sunshine State. Fortunately, there’s still time to change the outcome on this critical matter.

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—The debate was split at a public hearing in Jacksonville Jan. 3, a meeting scheduled for the public to air questions, comments and concerns regarding the new science standards to be implemented in Florida’s public schools for the next ten years.

TAMPA (FBW)—From activist moms in St. Augustine, to a member of the State Board of Education in Tallahassee, to a church leader in Brandon, Florida Baptists have taken the lead in opposing proposed science standards that require evolution-only teaching in the Sunshine State’s public schools.

It’s an understatement to say much has been written about evolution since Charles Darwin articulated the theory in his groundbreaking 1859 book, The Origin of Species. Considerable controversy has ensued and in recent decades a compelling body of literature has arisen critiquing the theory, undermining central tenets to natural selection and enraging the overwhelming majority of scientists who continue to cling to Darwinian evolution with a religious-like devotion.