Democrats seek more penalties against Buttars

Senate Democrats asked Tuesday that controversial GOP Sen. Chris Buttars be stripped of his remaining positions of authority because of his anti-gay comments to a documentary filmmaker.

"Many Democrats were shocked and appalled by comments made by Sen. Chris Buttars," Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, told reporters at a morning press conference called to announce the Democrats' response to actions already taken against the West Jordan Republican.

Last Friday, Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, took the unusual step of publicly removing Buttars as chairman of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee. Waddoups said then that many in the majority party agreed with much of what Buttars had said, and that the action was not intended as a punishment.

That wasn't enough for the Democrats — or even for some Republicans. On Monday, the GOP left the Senate floor to caucus behind closed doors, and afterward several members of leadership made it clear Buttars did not speak for them.

Democrats, who hold eight of the Senate's 29 seats, said Tuesday that Waddoups needed to go further and take Buttars off the powerful Senate Rules Committee that decides what happens to bills as well as remove him from his remaining chairmanship over the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Waddoups, who was watching the Democratic press conference from the back of the room, came forward to respond to the request at the urging of reporters. "I made my action a week ago," he said, suggesting that it would be difficult to remove everyone with a potential conflict from the Rules Committee. "I think you give Sen. Buttars way too much (credit) for having a significant power base," the Senate president said.

The only openly gay member of the Senate, Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, then offered to step down from his membership on the Rules Committee "as a trade" to applause from some gathered to watch the press conference.

Waddoups told reporters, "that may have some fairness to me" and said he'd have to consider the idea. As Senate president, Waddoups controls committee assignments and chairmanships.

Waddoups acknowledged Tuesday that Senate Republicans have talked about a number of options for dealing with Buttars, including asking him to resign. He declined to be more specific.

"We're good friends," Waddoups said of Buttars. "He was distressed. He felt like he had lost some friends over a time. He felt a lot of pressure from the media and from some … to stand up more valiantly."