Lawmaker Exchanges Creationism For ‘Truth In Education’ Bill

Photo: Dan Goldblatt/WFIU News

Sen. Dennis Kruse tried to introduce legislation that would introduce the teaching of creationism to public schools last session.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis Kruse says he will not reintroduce legislation that failed to pass the General Assembly last session requiring schools to teach creationism. Kruse will use a different avenue in the upcoming session.

In the 2012 session, Kruse’s bill requiring that Hoosier schools teach various theories on the origin of life passed the Senate but was killed in the House by Speaker Brian Bosma. At the time, Bosma said he was afraid of a long court fight if the bill became law.At the time, Kruse said he would raise the issue again in 2013.

Now, Kruse says he will not push for a creation science bill. Instead he offered legislation promoting what he calls “truth in education.”

“If you’re teaching something, then a student could question that and say, you know, ‘How do you know that’s true?’ And so the teacher would have to come up with different sources, ‘This is why I think this is true,’” Kruse says.

Terre Haute Democratic Senator Tim Skinner says Kruse’s proposal is not something that needs to be mandated.

“If Senator Kruse had education experience he would know that students across the country are already doing that every day in the public school classroom,” Skinner says. “They question everything, and I think a teacher who’s actually doing their job will answer those questions.”

Kruse says the legislation will be a general statement that will not mention creationism or religion. He says it will be up to school corporations to determine what research teachers must do.

Network Indiana contributed to this report.