Earmark for Anti-Science Creationist Group Must Be Removed

Earmark for Anti-Science Creationist Group Must Be Removed

People For the American Way today called for the Senate to remove an earmark for an anti-science creationist group from the FY08 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education appropriations bill. The earmark, inserted by Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, would send taxpayer money to the Louisiana Family Foundation (LFF), a leading advocate of creationism in the state.

"This is completely inappropriate," said PFAW Director of Public Policy Tanya Clay House. "Sending taxpayer money to a religious group whose mission is to force creationism into public schools as science is a blatant attack on the separation of church and state. Claiming that the money will be spent on improving science education adds insult to injury."

The earmark provides $100,000 to the group for the purpose of "develop[ing] a plan to promote better science education." Until recently the group's web site contained a "battle plan to combat evolution," which called the theory a "dangerous" concept that "has no place in the classroom."

"It's a shame that some people want to try the Scopes trial over and over again," said House. "Spending taxpayer money on pseudo-science in an attempt to promote a particular sectarian belief undermines the religious liberty of all children and should not be condoned by this Congress."

You can read PFAW's letter to the Senate here (PDF).