The saga continues on the bill desigend to keep Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs (GSA) from meeting in Utah’s schools.
Yesterday a Utah House committee approved a version of Chris Buttar’s bill. HB393, introduced by Rep. Aaron Tilton R-Springville, dictates how clubs would operate. Instead of banning the clubs, students would be required to obtain parental permission to participate in the club.
A high school student I know attended yesterday’s hearing and was able to speak to the issue. She told me that Rep. Tilton claimed that topics in GSA meetings were all about sex. The student challenged that since Mr. Tilton has never attended any GSA meetings. She also refuted the claim that topics were all about sex in her speech to legislators.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff states that this bill, if passed, will be able to be consitutionally defendable, since it would be violating the Equal Access Act. Furthermore, Utah School Boards and Utah School Superintendents associations sees this measure as an “unnecessary encroachment” into public schools.
The Deseret News has a published survey in today’s paper on the public’s opinion of GSA’s in schools. The public, according to the poll, is split on the issue.
Buttars is scheduled to return to session after an undisclosed illness at which time he will pick up the bill he introduced to ban GSA clubs.
Tilton said he will work with Buttars on which version they would jointly push.
Buttars has said he is against Gay-Straight Alliances because they are “conditioning clubs” meant to create sympathizers to a social group that goes against his morals.
I sound like a broken record: His morals? Who does Buttars represent – himself or his contituents?
This legislation of morality continues to infringe upon the constitutional rights by our legislators upon citizens. Where will the line be drawn? What precedent will this set for future moral legislation issues if this passes?
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 