Arizona lawmakers recently selected Arizona state senator Sylvia Allen to lead a state education committee. Allen, a Republican from the district of Snowflake, AZ, is a young earth creationist who also believes that the government is altering citizen’s minds through “chemtrails” sprayed from planes.
Senate chair Andy Briggs, a fellow Republican, chose Allen to lead the Arizona Senate Education Committee. The committee will act as a gatekeeper for all education-based laws, such as spending bills and the changing direction of Common Core.
“She understands what Arizona students and parents need in our education system,” said Briggs. “She is a very experienced legislator and I know she will do a wonderful job.”
Although Allen has not announced any of her plans for Arizona students, her own beliefs are rather controversial. Allen believes that the earth is 6,000 years old and was created by God in seven days. Earlier this year, she filibustered to derail a gun debate by proposing a law forcing Americans to attend church on Sunday.
In 2013, Allen made a lengthy Facebook post about the dangers of chemtrails — vapor trails made by high-flying jets that some believe are streams of chemicals the government is spreading on citizens on the ground. Allen wrote:
“Ok, I do not want to get into a debate about weather. However, I know what I see weekly up here on the flat where I live outside of Snowflake. The planes usely (sic), three or four, fly a grid across the sky and leave long white trails streaming behind them. I have watched the chem-trails move out until the entire sky is covered with flimsy, thin cloud cover. Things are happening all around us that we see everyday and just don’t get what it is. I think we throw the ‘conspiracy theory’ at people when we don’t understand or have the information they have so we try and explain it that way.”
Allen is replacing Kelli Ward, a fellow Republican who resigned from the position in order to run against John McCain in the U.S. Senate in 2016.
“I want to highlight the incredible teachers who are the reason for our children’s success,” Allen said to reporters after her appointment. “I also want to focus on parents’ responsibility in their children’s education. They are a critical part of their children’s success. We need to encourage that involvement.”
[Raw Story] Featured image via screen grab
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