House Rejects Unique Science Standards

The Wyoming House of Representatives has rejected a Senate amendment to the Next Generation Science Standards bill.

The 2014 legislature had specifically barred the state School Board from adopting the Next Generation Science Standards, in part because many lawmakers felt the standards blame the energy industry for global warming.

The state house earlier this session passed a bill to  allow consideration of those standards for Wyoming schools. The Senate also passed the bill, but added an amendment allowing the school board to develop a unique set of standards for Wyoming from whatever sources it chooses.

House Speaker Kermit Brown (R-Laramie) argued Tuesday that teaching is not unique to a state and that science in Wyoming is no different than anywhere else.

Rep Scott Clem (R-Gillette) argued the goal should be for Wyoming schools to have the best available science standards from any available source rather than settling for mediocrity.

But the house voted 39-20 against the senate amendment. The vote means the two houses will have to appoint members of a conference committee to try to work out the differences between the two bills.