A proposal to direct the South Carolina state board of education to approve only textbooks that "emphasize critical thinking and analysis in each academic content" was rejected by the House Committee on Education and Public Works on May 16, 2006. The proposal, which was approved by a subcommittee on April 3, 2006, would have amended a textbook bill, SB 114, which previously served unsuccessfully as a vehicle for antievolutionism. After rejecting the amendment, the committee voted to adjourn debate on the motion, in effect killing it, because the legislative session ends on June 1.
Although evolution was not specifically mentioned in the proposal, its sponsor, Representative Bob Walker (R-District 38), reportedly expressed concern that "some textbooks, particularly those used in high school biology classes, included outdated information," the Associated Press reported [Link broken] (May 16, 2006). Representative B. R. Skelton (R-District 3) suggested, also according to the AP, that "the wording appeared to be a way around the state Board of Education's decision" -- taken on March 8, 2006 -- "not to incorporate critical analysis into several sentences of high school biology standards."