Chris Buttars
Encyclopedia
D. Chris Buttars is a former Republican
member of the Utah State Senate
representing the 10th Utah Senate District
(which spans the cities of South Jordan
, West Jordan
, and Herriman
). He began his service as a state senator in 2001 and resigned in 2011 citing health problems.
, 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 known as West Ridge Academy, a boarding school for boys.
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 served as Utah State Senator for district 10
from 2001 to 2011. Buttars has served in various Republican Party leadership positions. Buttars is also a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America
's Silver Beaver award for distinguished service to the BSA.
In February, 2010, Buttars proposed eliminating the 12th grade from Utah high schools to close a budget shortfall.
Bill. The bill would allow instructors to teach students that evolution
is a controversial theory and counter it with the pseudoscience
of Creationism, using the term "Divine Design." The New York Times called the bill "Anti-Darwin" and critics have pointed to Buttars' words "Divine Design" as evidence for its religious undertow. The bill passed in the Senate but failed in the House of Representatives.
, which desegregated
American schools, Buttars responded that he thought "Brown v. Board of Education is wrong to begin with." 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..." and "I don't see black and white. I see people. I always have."
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. Buttars responded saying, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. This is a dark, ugly thing." Buttars apologized for a remark on the State Senate floor, 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." 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." Accusations of racism were made an issue in his 2008 re-election bid against Democrat John Rendell. Less than six months after Buttars re-election, he was recorded saying of the ACLU, "bless their black little hearts," in an interview with documentary maker and former KTVX ABC 4 reporter Reed Cowan. Cowan’s documentary is called, "8: The Mormon Proposition
."
, and co-sponsored Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
with Utah Boys Ranch colleague LaVar Christensen
, which defined marriage in Utah as consisting "only of the legal union between a man and a woman." Buttars criticized the domestic partnership
executive order signed by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
. Buttars also introduced legislation that would ban gay clubs and gay-straight alliances in public schools. In 2008 Salt Lake City's newly elected Mayor Ralph Becker
introduced a domestic partnership registry that was unanimously approved by the City Council. On February 11, 2008 Buttars introduced a counter bill, SB0267, designed to prevent cities or counties from operating any kind of domestic partnership registry, on the grounds that such registries would violate Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
's ban on same-sex marriage and domestic unions. The bill failed.
In a January 2009 interview with openly gay documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan, for the documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition, Buttars said that gays and lesbians were "the greatest threat to America going down," comparing members of the LGBT community to radical Muslims
. "I believe they will destroy the foundation of the American society," he said.
On February 20, 2009, Buttars was removed as chairman and member of the Utah State Senate Judicial Standing Committee because of these remarks. Democrats pushed for further sanctions, demanding his removal from the Rules Committee and for his demotion on the Health and Human Services Committee.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement urging "civil and respectful dialogue." It said, "From the outset, the Church's position has always been to engage in civil and respectful dialogue on this issue. Senator Buttars does not speak for the church."
Utah Republican Party
The Utah State Republican Party works to nominate and support the election of Republican candidates in partisan races for public office in the state of Utah...
member of the Utah State Senate
Utah State Senate
The Utah State Senate is the upper house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The Senate is composed of 29 elected members representing an equal number of constituent senatorial districts. Each senatorial district is composed of approximately 91,000 people...
representing the 10th Utah Senate District
10th Utah Senate District
The 10th Utah Senate District is located in West Jordan, Utah and includes Utah House Districts 41, 42, 47, and 50 and 52. The current State Senator representing the 10th district is D. Chris Buttars...
(which spans the cities of South Jordan
South Jordan, Utah
South Jordan is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley between the peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains and the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
, West Jordan
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
, and Herriman
Herriman, Utah
Herriman is a city in southwestern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 21,785 as of the 2010 census. Although Herriman was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a fifth-class city by state law. The city has experienced rapid growth since incorporation in 1999, as its...
). He began his service as a state senator in 2001 and resigned in 2011 citing health problems.
Early life and career
Buttars was born in LoganLogan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
on April 1, 1942, and graduated from Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
with a B.S. in Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
/Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1967. Upon graduating from Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
he was employed at Amoco Oil Company
Amoco
Amoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
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 known as West Ridge Academy, a boarding school for boys.
Buttars is married to Helen, and is the father of six and currently lives in West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
. He successfully ran for the West Jordan
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
City Council in 1970, and served on the City Council until 1983. Buttars ran for the Utah Senate in 2000, and served as Utah State Senator for district 10
10th Utah Senate District
The 10th Utah Senate District is located in West Jordan, Utah and includes Utah House Districts 41, 42, 47, and 50 and 52. The current State Senator representing the 10th district is D. Chris Buttars...
from 2001 to 2011. Buttars has served in various Republican Party leadership positions. Buttars is also a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
's Silver Beaver award for distinguished service to the BSA.
Legislation and policy
Buttars has sponsored legislation against gay straight alliances in public schools, has introduced a resolution urging companies to have their employees say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" to customers, as well as an Intelligent Design Bill. Buttars has sponsored legislation to fund drug treatment programs, supports raising the minimum wage and assisting child crime victims.In February, 2010, Buttars proposed eliminating the 12th grade from Utah high schools to close a budget shortfall.
Intelligent design
During the 2006 General Session of the 56th Utah State Legislature Buttars sponsored S.B. 96, an Intelligent DesignIntelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
Bill. The bill would allow instructors to teach students that evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
is a controversial theory and counter it with the pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
of Creationism, using the term "Divine Design." The New York Times called the bill "Anti-Darwin" and critics have pointed to Buttars' words "Divine Design" as evidence for its religious undertow. The bill passed in the Senate but failed in the House of Representatives.
Accusations of 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 EducationBrown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
, which desegregated
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
American schools, Buttars responded that he thought "Brown v. Board of Education is wrong to begin with." 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..." and "I don't see black and white. I see people. I always have."
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. Buttars responded saying, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. This is a dark, ugly thing." Buttars apologized for a remark on the State Senate floor, 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." 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." Accusations of racism were made an issue in his 2008 re-election bid against Democrat John Rendell. Less than six months after Buttars re-election, he was recorded saying of the ACLU, "bless their black little hearts," in an interview with documentary maker and former KTVX ABC 4 reporter Reed Cowan. Cowan’s documentary is called, "8: The Mormon Proposition
8: The Mormon Proposition
8: The Mormon Proposition is an American documentary written by Reed Cowan, directed by Cowan and Steven Greenstreet, and narrated by Dustin Lance Black. The film documents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' involvement in the 2008 California Proposition 8...
."
Gay rights
Buttars has been outspoken on issues dealing with homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and co-sponsored Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 is an amendment to the Utah state constitution that defines marriage as a union exclusively between a man and woman...
with Utah Boys Ranch colleague LaVar Christensen
LaVar Christensen
LaVar Christensen is a American politician from Utah, serving as a state representative from the state's 48th district January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2006; January 1, 2011. Christensen was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Utah's 2nd congressional district...
, which defined marriage in Utah as consisting "only of the legal union between a man and a woman." Buttars criticized the domestic partnership
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
executive order signed by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
Rocky Anderson
Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson served two terms as the 33rd mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, between 2000 and 2008. He is the Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights...
. Buttars also introduced legislation that would ban gay clubs and gay-straight alliances in public schools. In 2008 Salt Lake City's newly elected Mayor Ralph Becker
Ralph Becker (Utah)
Ralph Elihu Becker Jr. is an American politician and attorney who is the former Minority Leader of the Utah State House of Representatives, the 34th and current mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.- Early life and career :...
introduced a domestic partnership registry that was unanimously approved by the City Council. On February 11, 2008 Buttars introduced a counter bill, SB0267, designed to prevent cities or counties from operating any kind of domestic partnership registry, on the grounds that such registries would violate Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
Utah Constitutional Amendment 3
Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 is an amendment to the Utah state constitution that defines marriage as a union exclusively between a man and woman...
's ban on same-sex marriage and domestic unions. The bill failed.
In a January 2009 interview with openly gay documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan, for the documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition, Buttars said that gays and lesbians were "the greatest threat to America going down," comparing members of the LGBT community to radical Muslims
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
. "I believe they will destroy the foundation of the American society," he said.
On February 20, 2009, Buttars was removed as chairman and member of the Utah State Senate Judicial Standing Committee because of these remarks. Democrats pushed for further sanctions, demanding his removal from the Rules Committee and for his demotion on the Health and Human Services Committee.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement urging "civil and respectful dialogue." It said, "From the outset, the Church's position has always been to engage in civil and respectful dialogue on this issue. Senator Buttars does not speak for the church."
2000
2004
2008
See also
- Utah Boys Ranch
- List of Utah State Legislatures
- Utah Republican PartyUtah Republican PartyThe Utah State Republican Party works to nominate and support the election of Republican candidates in partisan races for public office in the state of Utah...
- Utah Senate