Freshman Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, says he believes climate change is a liberal “scam” and “ridiculous nonsense.” The Lewiston Tribune reports that Foreman, who sent an email late last week forcefully stating his views on the topic in response to an email from an Idaho mom concerned about legislative changes to school science standards, said there’s “no substance” to concerns about global warming or human impact on the environment changing the earth’s climate, even though the University of Idaho, in his district, is involved in major research on climate change.
 

“I know credible scientists in the former Soviet Union who have concluded the Earth is actually cooling,” Foreman told Tribune reporter Bill Spence. You can read Spence’s full report here.

Last week, the House Education Committee deleted five references to climate change from new school science standards that are up for review in the Legislature; the Senate Education Committee hasn’t yet taken up the standards.

Foreman, in his email, wrote, “Global warming ranks right up there with Al Gore’s phony ozone scare.”

Last month, Foreman announced that he planned to introduce legislation impose to first-degree murder penalties on women who have abortions in Idaho and doctors who perform them; that measure hasn't been introduced.