A bill that would have promoted the teaching of creationism in Arkansas public schools died in April when a Senate committee deadlocked on it.
House Bill 1701, sponsored by state Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville), would have allowed the teaching of creationism alongside evolution in science classes. Although this “balanced treatment” approach has been invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts (including in a 1981 ruling from Arkansas), Bentley said she believes the Supreme Court might be willing to change its mind.
The bill passed the House by a wide margin, but ran into problems in the Senate after the Senate Education Committee deadlocked on it 3-3.
