Senate Speaker Stuart Adams blames Donovan Mitchell for backlash over attempt to ban critical race theory

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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Senate Speaker Stuart Adams said jazz star Donovan Mitchell was largely the reason legislation banning critical race theory in Utah schools had been hampered.

A video surfaced Wednesday of Adams speaking in May at a panel at a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC; a conservative group that drafts laws for lawmakers across the country.

President Adams was responding to a question about how Utah is handling corporate reluctance on social justice issues such as abortion and transgender bills.

Speaking about bills on these topics that unfolded in the 2021 legislative session, Adams said, “We tried to do something similar in Florida and Mississippi. It crossed the House, happened in the Senate, we thought we had, but there was a pretty big reaction from the Jazz and other sports organizations. “

Next, on Critical Race Theory, Adams explained that lawmakers introduced a resolution banning the teaching of certain concepts in schools after Gov. Spencer Cox would not allow them to vote on a bill.

Adams said he received a text message saying Mitchell opposes a ban on Critical Race Theory.

“Donovan Mitchell is not happy with us,” Adams said. “And you start to have very popular sports stars like that pushing back. We have work to do to try to educate them.

“And my text back was to go after him and go tell him what we’re doing because I don’t think he really understands what happened.”

Adams added that the critical race theory is “not something we’ve seen a lot in Utah.” However, he also said: “I think this is a big problem and we will fix it.”

#utpol Sen. President Adams speaks at an ACFTA meeting about how they tried to copy a Critical Race Theory bill, but failed because Donovan Mitchell was not happy. Also says CRT isn’t something we’ve seen a lot in Utah pic.twitter.com/l8NXEaq0hX

Qualified Charters (@quietstreetsnow) September 8, 2021

President Adams acknowledged May’s comments in a statement Wednesday and clarified that he had received a text from someone with a link to an article in which Mitchell expressed his concerns about the resolution of the Critical Race Theory.

“The legislative process worked,” Adams said. As lawmakers, we need to better explain the policy that has been adopted to ensure that individuals are aware that we are listening to comments and are working to ensure that bills reflect what we hear.

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