The Senate punished Sen. Chris Buttars for making offensive statements for the second year in a row. Buttars followed up last year's racially charged comments with a full out assault this year on gays.

In an interview with a documentary filmmaker, Buttars compared the gay-rights movement to Muslim radicals. His torrent of disturbing rhetoric included that gay relationships are an "abomination" and "the greatest threat to America." Buttars won't apologize for the statements.

The statements and outrage they triggered distracted the Legislature from the public's business, says Senate President Mike Waddoups, at right. Waddoups says he took away Buttars' chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee (he refused to call it a punishment) to allow gay-rights issues a better hearing. Eliminating Buttars "would remove the focus from distracting on personal issues and the issues would have a better chance of faring on their own merits."

Waddoups, who had just restored Buttars to his positions of power at the beginning of the session said the disciplinary measure would also allow Buttars more latitude to speak his mind.

This frees Sen. Buttars to feel more at ease in saying what he personally feels. This will be a freeing mechanism allowing Sen. Buttars to express his freedom of speech rights.

Buttars hasn't been completely frank already? That's a scary thought.

A gay rights activist at the press conference demanded Waddoups respond to the pain Buttars' statements have caused in the gay community. Waddoups ignored the question but answered another on whether the loss of the chairmanship would eliminate any future Buttars faux pas. Waddoups replied:

I have never been very good at predicting the future.