Rep. Aaron Tilton has a big supporter in the Senate when it comes to his controversial school-clubs bill.

But it isn't the "gutted" version of Tilton's bill that passed out of the House that Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, likes.

And that's why Buttars plans to restore Tilton's HB236 to its original form when it comes before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee today.

Under his proposal, Buttars said schools would be free from the fear of being sued for accepting or denying a non-curricular student club because the Utah Attorney General's Office could defend schools, freeing districts from legal costs.

Like a similar bill last year, Buttars wants to target Gay-Straight Alliances, allowing school leaders to deny the clubs at the school without the threat of losing resources in a lawsuit.

"In my opinion, I hope they don't allow them, they could, but I hope they don't," Buttars said. "The school would have the authority to make a decision on yea or nay — that part got taken out over in the House, and I am going to put them back in."

The substitute would also restore parental authority to view any content and material to be distributed in a club seven days prior to the club meeting.

It would also require the school to appoint a faculty adviser to each non-curricular club — something that hasn't gone over big with some lawmakers who say community volunteers can play a big part in advising clubs, lifting an extra burden off teachers.

The only provision that survived the House was a requirement for parental permission before a student could join a club.

State education leaders have called the original bill — and Buttar's substitute — unnecessary and micromanaging because districts have their own club policies.

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