The House version of the Instructional Materials bills that are very likely to be used and abused by anti-evolutionists and climate change deniers if they become law is scheduled for its second of three committee stops. HB 989 is on the calendar for Monday, April 3 at 11:30 in the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee.
Send emails to the committee members. Make phone calls. Show up at the meeting if you can. Keep your correspondence short and to the point. Make it clear you oppose the bill due to its potential negative impact on science education. Implore the lawmakers to do their homework by actually reading the supporting documents our opponents are giving them. Point out that those documents make it clear they are ready and eager to fight their local school boards over evolution and climate change. Explain that we want experienced experts determining what materials are used in the classroom, not amateurs on an ideological crusade. If you need ideas, read through the posts in the ‘Instructional Materials bills ’17’ blog category.
The last committee vote was unanimous in favor on the bill. We need to put the brakes on this bill and we need some of these lawmakers to speak up for science during the meeting.
And note that the bill’s House sponsor is Byron Donalds, who is also on this committee.
Committee members:
Diaz, Jr., Manny [R] Manny.Diaz@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5103
Raburn, Jake [R] Jake.Raburn@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5057
Lee, Jr., Larry [D] Larry.Lee@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5084
Antone, Bruce [D] bruce.antone@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5046
Brown, Kamia L. [D] Kamia.Brown@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5045
Donalds, Byron [R] Byron.Donalds@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5080
Fine, Randy [R] Randy.Fine@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5053
Fischer, Jason [R] Jason.Fischer@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5016
Hardemon, Roy [D] Roy.Hardemon@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5108
Latvala, Chris [R] Chris.Latvala@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5067
Massullo, MD, Ralph E. [R] Ralph.Massullo@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5034
McClain, Stan [R] Stan.McClain@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5023
Newton, Sr., Wengay M. “Newt” [D] Newt.Newton@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5070
Renner, Paul [R] Paul.Renner@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5024
Sullivan, Jennifer Mae [R] Jennifer.Sullivan@myfloridahouse.gov (850) 717-5031
