Butcher, who characterized his comment as an "unfortunate choice of words," is also being criticized for the comments he made about minority students during the same meeting.
Butcher said Nevada pays its teachers more because they have to "deal" with a more diverse student population.
Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Allan Sipes, who will become president of the School Administrators of Montana next year, called the senator's behavior "reprehensible."
"It's mind-blowing that we would have somebody in a position like his, who is so out of it," Sipes said. "I believe that he should be pulled from the Education Committee and replaced with someone who understands and cares about all kids."
Incoming House Speaker Roy Brown, R-Billings, appointed Butcher to the House Education Committee for the 2005 legislative session. Brown said Tuesday he'll talk with Butcher to assess the situation, but said he couldn't comment further until he has more information.
At last week's meeting, Butcher said "vegetables," or seriously disabled children, should be removed from the traditional school setting and relocated in regional hub schools that can better meet their needs.
Butcher said Montana's small schools simply cannot afford to meet the varying needs of all disabled students.
Regional hub schools would be able to concentrate special education dollars and better serve disabled students, he added. Butcher said he's sensitive to the needs of disabled children, and said he has some disabled family members.
"Those kids definitely need to be put in a special place," Butcher said Tuesday. "It may even be a nursing-home setting to give them the best quality of life they can have."
Butcher said he didn't mean to offend anyone with his comments and has since told a few administrators who attended the meeting that he made a poor choice of words. However, Butcher said he won't formally apologize.
"I think I've said what I'm going to say," Butcher said. "This thing where people have to grovel around and apologize for everything they say irritates me."
House Minority Leader Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula, said members of Butcher's own political party should call for his resignation so they are not perceived as endorsing Butcher's comments.
"His resignation couldn't come too early for me," Wanzenried said. "I don't think anybody with those prejudices should be in public service anywhere."
Butcher was criticized by some of his fellow lawmakers during the 2001 Legislature for referring to American Indian reservations as ghettoes.
Butcher, who served the last four years in the Senate, will move into the state house when the 2005 Legislature convenes Jan. 3. He has served on the Senate Education Committee in both the 2001 and 2003 legislative sessions and has taught at both the high school and college level in Montana and North Dakota.
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