An Idaho House committee voted 12-4 on Wednesday to strip out large sections of the state’s proposed new school science standards, including standards for teaching kids about renewable and non-renewable energy resources and their impacts on the environment – including air pollution. Rep. Scott Syme, R-Caldwell, said he felt that standard “led to conclusions,” and he wanted to ensure that all of the state’s new science standards were “inquiry based,” letting students reach their own conclusions.

The decision isn’t final; the Senate Education Committee still gets to weigh in. And if senators don’t go along, the standards still could be enacted in full. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

Syme is the same representative who last year successfully proposed stripping out five sections of the standards about the science of climate change; Idaho is the only state whose legislature has required such a move. At the Legislature’s request, the state Department of Education convened experts, held hearings around the state and revised those five standards, then brought back all 375 sections for approval again this year.

In addition to excising the energy standard, Syme proposed removing large sections of “supporting content” that were included with each of the proposed standards.

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, compared that supporting content to giving a new college basketball coach specific plays to learn, in addition to performance standards – she said that wasn’t necessary.

Rep. John McCrostie, D-Boise, said elementary school teachers need the supporting content to help them understand how to teach science standards, but the majority of the committee remained unconvinced.