Crist taps Democrat Bob Butterworth to head social services agency

[Freddie Stubbs]

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press
Posted December 19 2006, 12:46 PM EST


TALLAHASSEE -- Republican Gov.-elect Charlie Crist on Tuesday named his predecessor as attorney general, Democrat Bob Butterworth, to head the state's social services agency.

In doing so, Crist is turning over one of Florida's most beleaguered agencies, the Department of Children and Families, to one of the state's most respected Democrats. Butterworth served as attorney general for 16 years before being forced out by term limits in 2002, when Crist was elected.

Butterworth, 64, has since served as dean of St. Thomas University Law School in Miami. Butterworth has also been a Broward County prosecutor, judge and sheriff, mayor of Sunrise and head of the state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

He earned a reputation early on for taking on tough challenges. On his way to prominence, Butterworth became the party's fireman of sorts, taking jobs where there were problems or political turmoil.

more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1219bobbutterworth,0,4114334.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

[iamjoy]

1. Should We Be Suspicious

Is this a set up, or a genuine bi-partisan gesture?

[Synnical]

3. That's what I was thinking

What's up with Crist? Canceling celebrations, appointing Democrats . . . .

:shrug:

[Dr.Phool]

2. That's a definite improvement.

Jeb appointed fundie privatizers to that position.

I hope he reverses the privatization of a lot of the agency's services.

[seafan]

4. This morning on the Jim DeFede radio show, Butterworth stated that

he thinks "the courts should decide" on whether people who happen to be gay should be able to adopt children.


STEVE CANNON/AP
NEW PICK: Gov.-elect Charlie Crist, left listens to Bob Butterworth speaks about his appointment as the new head of the state's social service agency, Tuesday, in Tallahassee.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/16278451.htm">Crist picks Democrat Bob Butterworth to sort out DCF, Dec. 20, 2006



This is very important, because it indicates that he might be supportive overall of gay adoption, by allowing the courts to look at each case and deciding on its outcome.

When Crist was asked in the campaign whether he supported it, he hedged and said he hadn't considered it as yet.... then when he was hammered by the right wingers for that answer, he capitulated and said he would 'continue the standing practices under the present administration' (or something similar).

For the new head of DCF, Bob Butterworth, who is highly respected in Florida, to express his views on gay adoption this morning on this radio show bodes well, imho, particularly since the DCF (Department of Children and Families) oversees state adoptions.

I haven't found this statement by Butterworth in print as yet, but we will be hearing about it very soon.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Doesn't FL law bar gay adoption?

It thought that it was the law, not the DCF, which was stopping this.

[seafan]

6. You may be correct on the FL statute. But this might be a starting point

for modifying it, if the respected head of the agency that oversees it is an advocate for letting courts decide on it. This will be interesting to follow!

Whatever Crist's motivation for naming Butterworth, it is a very good appointment.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. How likely is it for the GOP legislature to change that law?

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

[seafan]

8. FL law does not prohibit gays serving as foster parents, but flatly denies adoptive rights.

Here is a helpful article as to where it stands today:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/11/MNGN9AO88P1.DTL">Court lets stand Florida's ban on gay adoption

Linda Greenhouse, New York Times
Tuesday, January 11, 2005

(01-11) 04:00 PST Washington -- In a setback for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a challenge to a Florida law that prohibits homosexuals from adopting children.

Florida's is the only such statute in the country, and the prohibition is the only categorical adoption ban on the state's books. Florida evaluates adoption applications from all other would-be adoptive parents, including those who have failed at previous adoptions and those with a history of drug abuse or domestic violence.

snip

Although Florida's adoption laws once contained a preference for married couples, the state repealed that provision in 2003. One-quarter of the adoptions in the state are by single people.

The state Legislature voted to prohibit adoptions by gays in 1977, in the midst of a campaign led by the entertainer Anita Bryant to repeal a gay rights ordinance adopted by Dade County. The state senator who sponsored the adoption measure, Curtis Peterson, said at the time that its purpose was to send a message to gay people that "we're really tired of you" and "we wish you'd go back into the closet."

Florida permits gay men and lesbians to be foster parents.

snip

The Supreme Court made no comment Monday in turning down the case. The justices may have decided to permit the Lawrence decision to play out in different contexts in various courts before taking up the gay rights issue once again.

Mr. Butterworth, as incoming head of DCF, and with his varied and successful background in public service, will have a large influence on how this will be discussed. I see him acting as a great advocate for children in a capacity that might actually pressure for change in this mean-spirited law.