Chris Buttars

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Sen. Chris Buttars
Chris Buttars
Member of the Utah State Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 15, 2001 – Current
Preceded by L. Alma Mansell
Born April 1, 1942 (1942-04-01) (age 66)
Logan, UT
Political party Republican Party
Spouse Helen
Residence West Jordan
Occupation Retired
Religion Latter-day Saint
Website Legislative Website

Chris Buttars (b. April 1, 1942) is a Republican member of the Utah State Senate representing senate district 10 (which spans the cities of South Jordan, West Jordan, and Herriman). He has served as a state senator since 2001.

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[edit] Early life and career

Buttars was born in Logan, Utah on April 1, 1942, and graduated from Utah State University with a B.S. in Marketing/Economics in 1967. Upon graduating from Utah State University he was employed at Amoco Oil Company from 1967 to 1976 as a Retail Sales Manager. In 1976 he became the Executive Director of the Petroleum Retails Organization. He was director of the Utah Boys Ranch (now West Ridge Academy), a private, nonprofit school and treatment facility for troubled youth in West Jordan, for 15 years before retiring in 2004[1].

Buttars is married to Helen, and is the father of six and currently lives in West Jordan, Utah. He successfully ran for the West Jordan City Council in 1970, and served on the City Council until 1983. Buttars ran for the Utah Senate in 2000, and has served as Utah State Senator for district 10 from 2001 to present. Buttars is also a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America's Silver Beaver award for distinguished service to the BSA.

[edit] Legislation and policy

Buttars has sponsored legislation to fund drug treatment programs, supports raising the minimum wage and assisting child crime victims. [2] Buttars has been the source of criticism and controversy regarding several issues including intelligent design, racism, and homosexuality and has received national media attention.

[edit] Intelligent design

During the 2006 General Session of the 56th Utah State Legislature Buttars sponsored S.B. 96, which would have required the Utah State Board of Education to "establish curriculum requirements that stress that not all scientists agree on which theory regarding the origins of life, or the origins of the present state of the human race, is correct, and do not endorse a particular theory regarding the origins of life or the origins of the present state of the human race; and [that] grants rulemaking authority to the State Board of Education." [3] Critics of this bill claim that it advances a pro-Intelligent Design ("Divine Design" in Buttars' words) agenda. [4] [5]

[edit] Racism

In an interview with radio hosts Tom Grover & Ryan Yonk, Buttars said that he "[doesn't] know of an example where the minority is being jeopardized by legislative action." When Grover mentioned Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated American schools, Buttars responded that he thought "Brown v. Board of Education is wrong to begin with." Buttars declined to elaborate on his statement at that time. [6] In response to public reaction to his statements and accusations of racism, Buttars responded, "I don't think there's a racial [sic] bone in my body... "I don't see black and white. I see people. I always have." [7]

During a debate of a school-funding bill on the floor of the State Senate in February 2008, the bill's sponsor compared the bill to the baby involved in the Biblical story of King Solomon.[8] Buttars responded saying, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. This is a dark, ugly thing."[8] Buttars apologized for a remark on the State Senate floor,[9] saying, "I got a little carried away, and I made a comment that I think a lot of people could take as racist. I certainly did not mean that in any way, but it was wrong and could easily be taken in just that way. I apologize to anyone who took offense."[10] The president of the Salt Lake City branch of the NAACP felt that Buttars should resign from the Senate,[11] saying, "It's not the first time he's made derogatory remarks. ... If he feels comfortable enough to sit up in the Senate and say those things that are harmful, he doesn't belong in the Senate."[12] Buttars says he will will not resign and will seek re-election.[13] In an interview, Buttars said, "We live in a very, very sensitive world. Although what I said had literally nothing in my mind to do with a human being at all — we were talking about an ugly bill — I made a statement that could be easily misinterpreted, and it was."[13] Buttars also said that he has been the victim of a "hate lynch mob" since making the comment.[12] A member of the NCAAP branch responded saying, "The man knows nothing about what a lynch mob is. It is an insult for a man to say he is getting lynched when we know what real lynchings are."[14] Buttars said he did not understand why people would feel affronted by comparing himself to a victim of a lynching.[14] Buttars had intended to meet with the NCAAP branch to apologize and ask them to recind their demands for his resignation, but he decided not to meet with them because the NCAAP branch wanted to make the meeting public.[14]

[edit] Homosexuality

Buttars has been outspoken on issues dealing with homosexuality, such as Utah Constitutional Amendment 3, which defined marriage in Utah as consisting "only of the legal union between a man and a woman." [15] Buttars criticized the domestic partnership executive order signed by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. [15] Buttars also introduced legislation that would ban gay clubs and gay-straight alliances in public schools. [16] In 2008 Salt Lake City's newly elected Mayor Ralph Becker (Utah) introduced a domestic partnership registry that was unanimously approved by the City Council. On February 11, 2008 Senator Buttars introduced the bill SB0267 designed to prevent cities or counties from operating any kind of domestic partnership registry, alleging such registries would violate Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 regarding same-sex marriage and domestic unions.[17]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Associated Press - Illegal Goings On at the Utah Boys Ranch?
  2. ^ Salt Lake Tribune - Buttars stands out as morals crusader
  3. ^ Buttars, D. Chris. S.B. 96: Public Education - Instruction and Policy Relating to the Origins of Life. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  4. ^ Johnson, Kirk. "Anti-Darwin Bill Fails in Utah", The New York Times, 2006-02-28. Retrieved on 2006-02-12. 
  5. ^ Salt Lake Tribune - Evolution not yet extinct in schools
  6. ^ Salt Lake Tribune - Sen. Buttars says ruling against school segregation was wrong
  7. ^ Salt Lake Tribune - Buttars insists his radio remarks were not motivated by racism
  8. ^ a b "Senator apologizes for 'black baby' comment", Associated Press, KUTV, Four Points Media Group LLC, 2008-02-13. 
  9. ^ Robinson, Jeff. "Sen. Buttars Apologizes for Remark", KCPW News, KCPW, 2008-02-13. 
  10. ^ "Senator apologizes for 'black baby' comment", Associated Press, KUTV, 2008-02-13. 
  11. ^ "NAACP Calls for Sen. Buttars' Resignation", KCPW News, KPCW, 2008-02-14. 
  12. ^ a b "Utah Lawmaker Who Disparaged Bill by Calling It a 'Black Baby' Plans to Run Again", Associated Press, Fox News, 2008-02-19. 
  13. ^ a b Riley Roche, Lisa. "Buttars says he'll run for re-election in November", Deseret Morning News, 2008-02-19. 
  14. ^ a b c Bulkeley, Deborah; Riley Roche, Lisa. "Buttars skips NAACP meeting", Deseret Morning News, 2008-02-20. 
  15. ^ a b Bernick, Jr., Bob. "Marriage measure dividing Utah race", Deseret Morning News, 2004-08-24. Retrieved on 2006-02-12. 
  16. ^ Toomer-Cook, Jennifer. "Student-club bill progresses", Deseret Morning News, 2006-02-23. Retrieved on 2006-02-12. 
  17. ^ Jensen, Derek P.. "SLC's domestic partners registry targeted by Senate panel", Salt Lake Tribune, 2008-02-12. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.