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I could not begin to cover the latest situation with Chris Buttars but there is an important issue there. Everyone has a responsibility to refrain from yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater, but public officials have even more reason to be judicious in what they choose to say. As far as I’m concerned that’s a choice you make when you run for office. I have not read what he said (nor do I intend to). I have not paid attention to the particulars of the reprimand that he received but I have read a variety of opinions on what should have happened. I thought I would throw in my two bits about these kinds of situations.
I consider it perfectly reasonable that the state senate should have the power to discipline and reprimand its members when they act in a way that detracts from the office they hold. Obviously in criminal cases they should be free to remove the offending senator. This is not a criminal case. Public officials have as much right to fre expression as any other citizen even if they bear a heavier responsibility for their use of that right. Because this is not a criminal case I believe it is up to the voters in the 10th district to decide if they want him to represent them in the senate. Personally, even if I agreed with his politics all the time (which I don’t) I would not want him serving as my representative because of the distraction he brings all too regularly.
4 replies on “Public Office and Freedom of Expression”
I agree. If an elected official acts illegally or sufficiently unethically, the appropriate channels for discipline and even removal from office should be applied. The punishment should fit the crime.
Short of that, only voters in the district should have power to remove a person from office. Mostly, this is done at election time. In very rare cases, voters may petition for a special recall election.
However, leadership positions with a legislative body are a different thing. It is the members of those bodies rather than the district voters that select the body’s leaders and make various assignments within the body.
Correspondingly, the members of each body should be able to mete out discipline for behaviors that violate the body’s stated rules. This may include removal from a leadership position or committee assignment.
It’s interesting how is all boils down to a very simple principle – whoever has the power to grant something should also have the power to revoke it. Constituents place you in office and they can remove you. Senate colleagues place you in a leadership position and they can take that position from you.
Where did he make these comments? In private? A public news conference? On the Senate floor?
He made the comments in an interview for a video production.