Tag Archives: politics

Governor Huntsman has indicated that he will veto the anti-gay club and evolution bills. He said he will make a final decision if and when they reach his desk and he has had chance to review them for any significant changes.

Both bills are sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who said he was surprised at the governor’s veto threat. “Why doesn’t he like them? What’s wrong with them?” Buttars asked. “I find it amazing he’d make those kind of comments, and he’s never asked to talk to me.”
The governor, who had earlier raised concerns about the need for Buttars’ bills, had talked early on in the 45-day session about avoiding so-called message bills and staying focused on more important issues.
“These are no message bills,” Buttars said. “These are solid pieces of legislation that involve morality. Morality isn’t a ‘message bill.’ “

This year’s Legislative session in Utah is beginning to be termed the “gayest” on record with all the pieces of legislation having to directly or indirectly pertain to gay and lesbian issues.

Ben Fulton, editor of the Salt Lake City Weekly states in his editorial this week, For Republicans in Washington, D.C., the running line is, “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.” The Utah Legislature’s unspoken motto seems to be “If you’re not with us, you’re with those dirty homosexuals.”

It’s true. It seems that each year more and more legislation has to do with morality and less and less to do with services. [Broken record again] It’s time for Utahns to speak out and push to elect officials who will speak out for services for citizens and leave morality issues to individuals and not the government.

….and all he can talk about is homosexuality.

Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, has returned to the Utah Legislative Session. Buttars is the legislator who introduced legislation to do away with the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Clubs in public schools in Utah.

There are actually two bills introduced, one approved in the Senate and the other approved in the House, with Republicans voting for and Democrats against the bills. The second bill, introduced by Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, doesn’t mention the GSA clubs, but clearly is aimed at them.

You can hear a partial audio clip of the hearing and testimony at One Utah

I find it humorous that Buttars said school boards could stop the Gay-Straight Alliance from meeting on school property because such clubs advocate “sexual activity outside of legally recognized marriage.”
Utah school boards have transparently stated their positions for allowing such clubs in schools and oppose Buttars bill. To prevent one club over another from meeting would violate the Equal Access Act. Furthermore, there are other lawmakers who do not see the need for this bill.

But Buttars believes homosexuality violates America’s “traditional morals” and Utah’s 14 active Gay-Straight Alliances “indoctrinate” students to support that “immorality.”
“If we continue down the road of tearing down the pillars of traditional morality, what will be left with? Only the philosophies of men,” Buttars said.

Despite proof of the contrary, Buttars and Tilton insist that the GSA meets to discuss sex. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In light of the fact that there is anti-bullying legislation in this year’s legislative agenda, I thought it very timely to read this statement in today’s paper:

After [today’s] hearing, emotional students from Hunter High’s Gay-Straight Alliance gathered outside of the committee room to comfort each other. They have tracked the bill and lobbied lawmakers, saying the club is a social network that increases student’s self-esteem, encourages diversity and protects students from bullies.

Buttars is, quite unfortunately, the senator of my district. I do not condone this piece of legislation and highly resent that he is spending time, funded by my tax dollars, to continually push this through when there are pressing issues such as mass transportation (that was completely cut out on my road), heating assistance for the poor and finding ways to make our eductational system even better than it is by allocating more funds, not to mention an array of other issues that affect all citizens’ needs.

I know students who are member of the GSA. My son, a heterosexual 19-year-old, became a member of it when he was in high school. He told me, “Mom, I joined because I was tired of seeing so much attack being made on students who supported GSA. It’s not about gay issues. It’s about issues that affect us all.”

Stop already Chris Buttars. Enough is enough. You are working for me and hosts of others who want you to spend your time truly representing your consituents – not pushing forward your personal agenda.