Senator 'stands by' his apology for 'dark and ugly' statement
Buttars told the Deseret Morning News, "I stand by my statement." Asked if that meant he was not going to consider resigning, he said, "I stand by my apology. That's it. This issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
Buttars apologized for the statement, made Tuesday during Senate debate on a bill dealing with school districts sharing revenues. The senator used the word black to negatively describe the "baby" being divided, saying, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. This is a dark and ugly thing."
Buttars said he was sorry for the statement after Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, announced later Tuesday on the floor that there had been a breach of decorum and the senator involved wanted to apologize.
On Wednesday, Buttars posted a written statement to the Senate majority's Web site, www.senatesite.com/blog, calling what he'd said "a dreadful choice of words and I recognize that my words were damaging."
Jeanetta Williams, president of the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP, on Wednesday called for Buttars to resign. She said Buttars has not returned her telephone calls although Valentine was concerned enough to call her Wednesday.
"You would think that Sen. Buttars would make one attempt to call or at least return the call," Williams said. "It would seem to me he doesn't want to talk about it. He wants it to go away."
But, Williams vowed, "he's not just going to ride it out."
If Buttars doesn't resign and opts for a re-election bid, Williams said, the NAACP will find someone to run against him. She said this isn't the first time Buttars has made racist statements.
In August 2006, Buttars called the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision that desegregated public schools, Brown v. Board of Education, "wrong to begin with" in a radio interview.
"He continues to make these derogatory statements, then he says 'I'm sorry' and moves on," Williams said. "Then the next incident happens."
Valentine said Thursday it was up to Buttars to decide whether to resign. "His resignation is his decision," he said. "Sen. Buttars is in a very difficult situation."
Valentine declined to give his own opinion about what action Buttars should take.
"I'm going to let Sen. Buttars have his space," Valentine said. "If I express my personal opinions, then it would have an effect on Sen. Buttars' decision. I think Sen. Buttars needs to come to grips with that decision."
Valentine said no further action can be taken against Buttars under Senate rules. Senators can be censured only if they refuse to apologize for a breach of decorum, he said, noting a censure carries no penalties.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said in a statement Thursday that Buttars "has to answer to those people who elected him to office and they are the ones who will ultimately decide, based on their level of outrage, if he ought to resign. He ought to listen to what they have to say."
Some residents in West Jordan said Thursday that they are embarrassed by the senator's statement, but their reasons for wanting Buttars to resign have more to do with disagreeing with his overall political beliefs, rather than his statement.
Buttars, who was first elected to the Senate in 2000, shares representation of West Jordan in the Senate with Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. He is up for re-election this year but has not announced yet whether he will run.
Former West Jordan City Councilman Rob Bennett, who lives in Buttars' district, said he is reluctant to call for Buttars' resignation.
"I have a hard time demanding perfection from any elected official," Bennett said. "Just the fact that someone has said a stupid comment shouldn't automatically make them responsible to resign to atone for whatever dumb thing they've said."
Ron Stallworth of Layton, a former member of the Utah Black Advisory Council and a retired public safety investigator, said Buttars has long expressed a negative view of women and minorities.
"It's not a mis-speak," Stallworth said. "Buttars is a racist, pure and simple. ... He is a disgrace to that body. ... He just basically stated what he thinks of the black race right there. Black babies are ugly to him."
Buttars is also "well known for his attacks on Utah's (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community," according to a statement issued by the Utah Pride Center.
"I feel a great deal of empathy for what the African-American community is dealing with right now, said Valerie Larabee, the organization's executive director.
"My first and foremost concern is for the young Utah ear and what the future leaders of this state are learning from this kind of language," Larabee said. "If this stuff continues to be acceptable within that body, we're doing our youth a great disservice."
Contributing: Amy Choate-Nielsen
E-mail: lisa@desnews.com; dbulkeley@desnews.com