Red State Rabble

Last night, Red State Rabble spoke with Pedro Irigonegaray -- the attorney who so ably defended the majority on the Kansas science curriculum committee in hearings last May -- about the impact of the Dover decision in Kansas.

Saying that he is very, very happy with the decision, Irigonegaray noted that, "Judge Jones' decision described intelligent design in the same terms we did at the hearings in Topeka last May: intelligent design masquerades as science."

"I stand ready," Irigonegaray noted, "with a dedicated group of lawyers to challenge attacks on science education by the board." In light of the Dover decision that intelligent design violates the Establishment Clause, Irigonegaray expects that such a challenge would likely be successful.

In Irigonegaray's view, the situation in Kansas "a bit more oblique" than the legal situation in Dover where teaching of intelligent design was mandated by the board. "The nuances are different, says Irigonegaray, it's not as clear-cut."

While Irigonegaray stands ready to defend science education -- he's been consulting with attorneys across the country on possible litigation -- he believes the next step lies with the political process -- mobilizing citizens to defeat the current board majority and elect moderates to the board. Four of the six right-wingers on the board are up for election next November.

RSR asked Irigonegaray about moderate school board member Bill Wagnon's announcement that he will not run for the board in 2008. Irigonegaray says that ultimately the decision is up to Wagnon, but he hopes Wagnon might be persuaded to stay on for one more term. Wagnon, says Irigonegaray, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about education to a board that badly needs it.