Bullard Bill Pushes Back on Evolution-Only School Curriculum

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, has filed legislation to restore balanced instruction in Oklahoma classrooms and promote critical-thinking skills by ensuring students are not subjected to one government-mandated ideology about the origins of life.

Senate Bill 1868 prohibits public school teachers from presenting the theory of evolution as the sole explanation for the origin of human life. Bullard’s bill requires public and charter schoolteachers who instruct students on biological evolution to also provide education on the concepts of creationism and/or intelligent design.

The legislation also protects teachers and students from censorship by preventing the State Board of Education and local school boards from prohibiting objective discussion of the scientific strengths and weaknesses of biological evolution, creationism and intelligent design.

“For far too long, we have clouded the understanding of where we come from and our origins as humans,” said Bullard, a former history and government teacher. “For decades, we have taught fiction as fact and forced the theory of evolution on our kids. That ends now. Senate Bill 1868 fixes this problem by putting both evolution and creationism in the classroom for students to learn.”

Bullard added that even Charles Darwin, who is credited with the foundation of evolutionary studies, doubted his own theory that is now forced on every student in our public schools without scrutiny. He pointed to the following quote that Darwin wrote in a 1857 letter to Asa Gray: “'I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true science.”

“The ability to discern the truth about the origins of man is a critical step in our kids’ education,” Bullard said. “Either we teach both ideas or we allow parents to teach their kids this important topic. We must also stop this indoctrination of our kids using a theory that even its creator openly doubted.”

SB 1868 will be eligible for consideration during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Feb. 2.

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For more information, contact: Sen. David Bullard at (405) 521-5586 or David.Bullard@oksenate.gov