Utah may OK evolution, but with a footnote

A Utah Senate committee has split along party lines, saying evolution should be taught in the state's public schools -- but with a disclaimer.

A bill offered by Utah state Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, would require science teachers to specify the state does not endorse any scientific theory about the origins of life or the present state of man and that scientists are not in complete agreement on evolutionary theory, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The bill passed Tuesday on a 4-2 vote in the Senate Education Committee and will now go before the full Senate.

Opponents, including the Utah Board of Education, view the measure as an unnecessary attack on a widely accepted scientific theory.

"There is little or no debate among credible scientists about whether evolution has taken place," said Brett Moulding, state curriculum director. "However, since our understanding is still incomplete, there is considerable and productive debate about processes of evolution."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International