Changes

In 1979, while he resided in Mooringsport outside Shreveport, Keith won the District 39 Senate seat vacated by [[Don Williamson]] of Vivian, who did seek a third Senate term and instead ran unsuccessfully for Louisiana insurance commissioner, having been narrowly defeated by the incumbent, Sherman Albert Bernard, Sr. (1925-2012). As a state senator, Keith is primarily remembered for having introduced legislation, which acquired national attention, that would have given equal emphasis in public school science instruction to creation science and evolution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billkeithbooks.com/wordsmith/|title=Visit to Shreve Memorial Library|date=October 14, 2009|publisher=billkeithbooks.com|accessdate=November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.}}</ref><ref name=aguillard/>  

In 1979, while he resided in Mooringsport outside Shreveport, Keith won the District 39 Senate seat vacated by [[Don Williamson]] of Vivian, who did seek a third Senate term and instead ran unsuccessfully for Louisiana insurance commissioner, having been narrowly defeated by the incumbent, Sherman Albert Bernard, Sr. (1925-2012). As a state senator, Keith is primarily remembered for having introduced legislation, which acquired national attention, that would have given equal emphasis in public school science instruction to creation science and evolution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billkeithbooks.com/wordsmith/|title=Visit to Shreve Memorial Library|date=October 14, 2009|publisher=billkeithbooks.com|accessdate=November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.}}</ref><ref name=aguillard/>  

The measure, signed by [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Governor]] [[David C. Treen]], was entitled the Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act. Keith's act required that scientific evidence for creation-science, the view of abrupt appearance of organisms in the fossil records, whenever related material on evolution was presented in classes. A panel of seven creation-scientists, appointed by the governor, would advise local school districts on the appropriate curriculum. The act did not specifically require or allow instruction in any religious doctrine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grisda.org/origins/12038.htm|title=News and Comments|publisher=grisda.org|accessdate=November 25, 2009}}</ref>​

The measure, signed by [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Governor]] [[David C. Treen]], was entitled the Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act. Keith's act required that scientific evidence for creation-science, the view of abrupt appearance of organisms in the fossil records, whenever related material on evolution was presented in classes. A panel of seven creation-scientists, appointed by the governor, would advise local school districts on the appropriate curriculum. The act did not specifically require or allow instruction in any religious doctrine.<ref>Source no longer on-line.</ref>​

Keith's law was subsequently overturned by the [[United States Supreme Court]] in the 1987 decision ''[[Edwards v. Aguillard]]'' because the court held that the law was specifically intended to advance a particular religion.<ref>Justice [[William Brennan]] in the majority opinion said, "as in ''Stone'' and ''Abbington,'' we need not be blind in this case to the legislature's preeminent religious purpose in enacting this statute," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 588; and ''Here, it is clear that religious belief is the Balanced Treatment Act's "reason for existence,"'' opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 603.</ref> Keith recalled that his interest in the matter developed in 1978, when his then 13-year-old son came home from school to report that a teacher had ridiculed the youngster's belief in [[God]] as the Creator of human life.<ref name=aguillard>Ridicule sparked creationism law, ''St. Petersburg Times,''|date=June 20, 1987|accessdate=November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.}}</ref>​

Keith's law was subsequently overturned by the [[United States Supreme Court]] in the 1987 decision ''[[Edwards v. Aguillard]]'' because the court held that the law was specifically intended to advance a particular religion.<ref>Justice [[William Brennan]] in the majority opinion said, "as in ''Stone'' and ''Abbington,'' we need not be blind in this case to the legislature's preeminent religious purpose in enacting this statute," opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 588; and ''Here, it is clear that religious belief is the Balanced Treatment Act's "reason for existence,"'' opinion, 482 U.S. 578, page 603.</ref> Keith recalled that his interest in the matter developed in 1978, when his then 13-year-old son came home from school to report that a teacher had ridiculed the youngster's belief in [[God]] as the Creator of human life.<ref name=aguillard>Ridicule sparked creationism law, ''St. Petersburg Times,''|date=June 20, 1987|accessdate=November 25, 2009; no longer on-line.}}</ref>​