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Richard Piatt ReportingTwo of the more controversial issues the Utah Legislature is expected to take on this year are sponsored by one lawmaker. Senator Chris Buttars wants to ban gay and lesbian support clubs from Utah high schools. He also has a bill to require 'intelligent design' theory to be taught along side evolution in public schools.
Students at Salt Lake City's East High School protested a ban on school clubs almost ten years ago. That ban started when the school board eliminated gay and lesbian clubs at the school--then all the rest for legal reasons. Almost ten years later the Legislature could give the issue another hearing, at the request of West Jordan Senator Chris Buttars.
Sen. Chris Buttars, (R) West Jordan: "If you're in a chess club you're going to be talking about chess. If you're in a dance club you're going to be talking about dance. If you're in a gay club you're going to be talking about human sexuality, and that's illegal, in fact it's criminal."
According to a Dan Jones poll of 406 Utah voters, fifty-one percent disagree, saying they would oppose a new law prohibiting gay/lesbian clubs in public schools. Forty-six percent somewhat or strongly favor it.
Buttars is also sponsoring a bill that would require intelligent design to be taught in science classes, in addition to Darwin's theory of evolution. Our poll shows 66 percent say it should. 30 percent say it should not. Those voters draw the line at stopping the teaching of evolution. 71 percent say they oppose an evolution theory teaching ban.
Lawmakers are assured at least some debate on both these issues, according to Senate President John Valentine.
Sen. John Valentine, Senate President: "So-called social issues are important because they drive how we see ourselves as a state, and so we will spend time on those kinds of issues."
But there is a concern over the amount of time such debates will take from other issues.
Rep. Ralph Becker, House Minority Leader: "While I don't want to diminish anyone's proposals, they do seem to take an inordinate amount of time in the legislature."
Plenty of time will still go to tax reform, education and other issues, but right now gay clubs and intelligent design are poised to be attention-getters.
