Rep. Kera Birkeland of Utah is resigning

Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, poses for a photo at the House of Representatives Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan of Utah, announced Thursday that she will resign from the Utah Legislature before the start of the 2025 General Session next month.

“Right now my family, especially my parents, need more time from me,” Birkeland posted on X alongside screenshots of her resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper.

Birkeland wrote in her resignation letter that she made the decision “with a heavy heart” and that her resignation would take effect on January 10. That’s 11 days before the scheduled 2025 legislative session.

“My family and work obligations increasingly require my attention away from home, a trend that I expect will continue over the next year or two,” Birkeland wrote in her letter. “This decision was not made lightly; It has been weighing heavily on me for some time, also because I have the feeling that my work here is far from finished.”

“Nevertheless,” she added, “current circumstances require me to focus on other important tasks.”

Birkeland did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday, but a spokeswoman for Schultz confirmed to Utah News Dispatch that the speaker had received her resignation.

“Rep. Birkeland was a passionate advocate for the people of House District 4 and the people of Utah. I am proud to call her a colleague and, most importantly, a friend,” Schultz said in a prepared statement. “I wish her nothing but the best and thank her for her years of service in the House.”

Birkeland’s most famous and controversial bills included:

• A 2022 bill that initially banned transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports before a Judge blocked this ban. As a substitute in the event of litigation, the bill contained a provision that a Commission to investigate Trangender student athletes Authorization. The commission has existed since the judgment.

Birkeland’s resignation from her District 4 seat comes after she defeated an openly transgender candidate in the November election. Birkeland won with nearly 60% of the vote to Democratic candidate Kris Cambell’s 40%. Campbell ran as a “family man, bridge builder, process person, math nerd, transgender man of faith, (and) Utahn.”

Already in July the This was announced by the Montana Grain Growers Association It hired Birkeland as its new director of policy.

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Because Birkeland’s resignation comes after the Nov. 5 election, the Utah Republican Party will call a special election for state delegates from District 4 (which includes Daggett, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich and Summit counties) to select her successor by the next election choose.

Birkeland was first appointed to the District 4 seat in April 2020. If she had kept the job, she would have been in office for two more years.

In her letter to Schultz, Birkeland said her time in the House of Representatives was “immensely fulfilling and brought joy and passion.” Ultimately, however, it is not the title that defines us, but the impact we make by helping people those we serve.”

“My commitment to improving the quality of life in Utah and every community I touch remains unwavering,” she continued. “The most important thing is the impact I can have on my own family.”

Birkeland added that she is “grateful that my children have seen their mother balance work, public service, faith and family over many successful years.”

“But it’s OK to prioritize the things that matter most,” she wrote. “This is and will always be my family.”

Birkeland added that she hopes her successor will “continue the critical work of advancing legislation” that District 4 residents “value — focusing on tax relief, government accountability, election integrity, protecting our seniors, fighting unfair co-pay accumulators and combating human trafficking,” and upholding the common sense and values ​​that define Utah.”

Birkeland concluded her letter by thanking Schultz for his support — and urging him to “continue to advocate for women and girls and parental rights in our great state.”

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