I can't see how this isn't about religion.
I went to a private high school in Georgia. We were required to take courses in Old Testament history and New Testament history to graduate. I don't remember anyone belly-aching about the classes, including the Jewish students. The 9th grade biology course was conventional in every respect including teaching the theory of evolution and discussion of abiogenesis. Neither being in the deep South nor being religious requires this crap.
This is about a particular bunch of religious folk.
What I meant was that you wouldn't pass this law without being influenced by religion, not that being influenced by religion would make you pass this law.
And I went to Catholic schools. We too had both religion and conventional biology classes.