September 25, 2011

In Texas, Clues to Gov. Perry's Science Agenda

Texas Research Environment Gives Clues to Gov. Perry's Science Agenda 1

Erich Schlegel, Getty Images

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, the current front-runner for the GOP's presidential nomination, toured parts of his state destroyed by wildfires. The governor asked Texans to pray for rain to end the months-long drought that caused the fires, but he did not consult scientists.

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close Texas Research Environment Gives Clues to Gov. Perry's Science Agenda 1

Erich Schlegel, Getty Images

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, the current front-runner for the GOP's presidential nomination, toured parts of his state destroyed by wildfires. The governor asked Texans to pray for rain to end the months-long drought that caused the fires, but he did not consult scientists.

By Paul Basken

Republicans in recent years have often been portrayed as antiscience. In that regard, their front-runner for the 2012 presidential race, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, seems straight out of central casting.

The prominent reasons are his high-profile refusals to accept the scientific consensus on human evolution and global warming. He also leads one of the nation's worst-performing states in terms of elementary- and secondary-school achievement, and has questioned basic rationales for a