ルイジアナ州反進化論州法Act473をめぐって

米国の生物系学会のひとつSociety for Integrative and Comparative Biologyが、2011年総会をルイジアナ州New Orleansではなく、ユタ州Salt Lake Cityで開催することを決定した。理由はルイジアナ州における「進化論に対する学問の自由州法(Act473)」の成立であり、その旨をBobby Jindal州知事に通告した。

[Letter to Bobby Jindal (2009/02/05) on Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology]

February 5, 2009
Governor Bobby Jindal

Dear Governor Jindan

As President of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), I am writing to inform you of a recent decision by our Executive Committee. We will not hold the Society's 2011 annual meeting in New Orleans even though the city has been a popular venue of us in the past, and we received a reasonable site and organization package for the meeting. The Executive Committee voted to hold the 2011 meeting in Salt Lake City in large part because of legislation SB561, which you signed into law in June 2008. It is the firm opition of SICB's leadership that this law undermines the integrity of scienceeducation in Lousiana.

...

Sincerl,
Richard Sattelie, President
SICB Executive Committee,
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

これを報告・支持するプレスリリースを、ルイジアナ州の理科教育を守るLA Coalition for Scienceが出している：

National Scientific Society to Boycott Louisiana over LA Science Education Act Baton Rouge, LA, February 13, 2009 — The first tangible results of the Louisiana legislature’s passage and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signing of the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act have materialized, and these results are negative both for the state’s economy and national reputation. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, a national scientific society with more than 2300 members, has put Gov. Bobby Jindal on notice that the society will not hold its annual meetings in Louisiana as long as the LA Science Education Act is on the books. In a February 5, 2009, letter to the governor that is posted on the SICB website under the headline, “No Thanks, New Orleans,” SICB Executive Committee President Richard Satterlie tells Jindal that “The SICB executive committee voted to hold its 2011 meeting in Salt Lake City because of legislation SB 561, which you signed into law in June 2008. It is the firm opinion of SICB’s leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana.” [NOTE: Although the legislation was introduced as SB 561, it was renumbered during the legislative process and passed as SB 733.]

....

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (2009/02/13) by LA Coalition for Science
via Pharyngula]

なお、このLA Coalition for Scienceには、"cdesign proponentsists"でおなじみBarbara Forrest教授も参加している。

これについて、Discovery MagazineのPhil Plaitは次のように評している:

I think this was the right decision, and I urge anyone who is considering running a science-based event to seriously consider states that hold science in higher regard. I hope that Louisiana teachers, parents, and students rise up and let their representatives know how they feel about science. I would hate to see the students suffer because of this, but the politicians in that state have already guaranteed that will happen.

私はこれが正しい判断だと思う。私は、科学に関するイベントを開催を考えている人々に、科学に高い敬意を払う州での開催を真剣に考えてほしいと思う。そして、私は、ルイジアナ州の先生たち、両親たち、生徒たちに立ちあがって、科学についてどう思っているか州議会議員たちに知らせてほしいと思う。私は、生徒たちがこのことで苦しむのを見たくない。しかし、州の政治家たちは既にそうしてしまったのだ。

[Phil Plait: "Jindal dooms Louisiana" (2009/02/14) on Blogs/ Bad Astronomy]

定期的に、ルイジアナ州反進化論州法Act473を批判しておくことは必要。その点で、SICBは良い機会をつくっている。New York Timesも本件を報道している。

なお、共和党のBobby Jindalルイジアナ州知事はほとんど反応しなかったもよう：

Mr. Jindal’s office had little to say on Monday about the boycott.

このボイコットについて月曜日Jindal州知事のオフィスはほとんど何も言わなかった。

“That’s too bad,” a spokesman, Kyle Plotkin, said in an e-mail message. “New Orleans is a first-class city for a convention.”

Kyle Plotkin報道官はメールで「それは良くない。New Orleansは会議を開催するのにファーストクラスな街なのに。」と述べた。

[Adam Nossiter: "Boycott by Science Group Over Louisiana Law Seen as Door to Teaching Creationism" (2009/02/17) on New York Times]