SALT LAKE CITY — In campaigning last year for the District 11 Utah House seat, challenger Katy Hall focused on her conservative leanings.

The South Ogden Republican ultimately defeated fellow GOPer Kelly Miles, a three-term incumbent, charging that conservative viewpoints were getting short shrift under his leadership. Now in her first few weeks as a lawmaker — having played a key role in passage of Senate Bill 16, which prohibits transgender surgery on minors — the new Utah representative says she is following through, giving voice to conservatives.

District 11 covers portions of South Ogden, Washington Terrace, Riverdale and Uintah in Weber County and part of South Weber and Hill Air Force Base in Davis County. Hall easily defeated Miles in the GOP primary last June, 61.9% of the votes to 38.1%, and faced no competition in the general election.

“As I campaigned last year, I told my constituents that I am a common-sense conservative. The bills that I am choosing to sponsor and vote for are, to me, common-sense conservative issues and I’m happy to explain why,” Hall said in a message to the Standard-Examiner.

She hasn’t been shy about delving into the most controversial topics, even as a freshman House member serving her first elective post and presumably learning the ropes of legislating. She served as floor sponsor for S.B. 16, the high-profile measure quickly passed by lawmakers that prohibits gender-affirming surgery and medical treatment on minors.

She’s also pursuing legislation to do away with ranked-choice voting in Utah, House Bill 171, and is one of several co-sponsors of H.B. 131, which would limit the ability of the government and employers to require proof of vaccination among employees. The issue emerged in response to vaccination requirements that surged among some employers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for S.B. 16, Hall said that as a registered nurse she felt she “could lend a healthcare viewpoint,” prompting her involvement. Sen. Michael Kennedy, an Alpine Republican and a family physician, was the main sponsor.

While acknowledging it’s a sensitive topic, she got involved given what she maintains is the lacking “scientific evidence” behind some of the treatments put forth for transgender youth. Medical experts lack consensus, she said, “and it is causing irreparable harm in children who cannot adequately consent to the long-term consequences of the treatments,” she said.

Advocates for the transgender community and S.B. 16 foes have blasted the measure as overreaching. Equality Utah, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, called the measure “essentially a full ban on transgender youth care,” saying a legal challenge is “inevitable.”

Hall, though, cautions that “until there is scientific and medical evidence that provides a clearer path, we should stop experimenting on children.”

She got involved in the debate over ranked-choice voting, or RCV, stemming from concerns about whether results from such balloting reflect the will of voters, among other things. Her proposal — put on hold last Friday by the House Government Operations Committee and facing an uncertain future — would repeal the measure approved in 2018, H.B. 35, that created a ranked-choice voting pilot project.

“In the end, the reason I am sponsoring this bill is that I believe RCV hasn’t lived up to expectations and does not bring voter confidence in a time when people are looking to have confidence in their elections,” Hall said. With ranked-choice voting — designed to eliminate the need for runoffs — voters rank candidates in order of preference, and second- and third-choice hopefuls potentially get weight if top preferences don’t initially muster more than 50% backing.

Twenty-three locales were to use ranked-choice voting in 2021 elections, according to Utah Ranked Choice Voting, a nonprofit group that promotes the voting method. Nonetheless, Hall questions whether ranked-choice voting reflects the will of those casting ballots and says you can’t conduct hand counts of ranked-choice balloting if needed, among other critiques.

In supporting H.B. 131, the measure prohibiting so-called vaccine passports, she said she signed on only after making sure home-based businesses would not be negatively impacted by the measure. It passed in the House 60-13 and now faces consideration in the Senate.

Hall is also sponsoring a measure, H.B. 367, that would seem to require the City of Ogden to reimburse hangar leaseholders at Ogden-Hinckley Airport for improvements they’ve made on hangars. The city is pursuing demolition of old hangars on city-owned airport land as part of modernization efforts, but many who lease hangars are fighting back and it’s turned into a bitter legal feud.

H.B. 367 is still getting consideration at the committee level.

Generally, Hall lauded her fellow lawmakers of all stripes, saying they have been welcoming and helpful as she and other freshman lawmakers learn how to navigate the House.

“It is a big responsibility to represent my district down there and I feel that greatly,” she said.

While portraying herself as a “common-sense conservative” she acknowledged she and District 11 constituents won’t alway be in total agreement.

“If people question why I’m sponsoring or voting for a certain bill, I (call on) them to reach out in a civil manner, and we can discuss it. I committed to give of my time right now and that’s what I’m trying hard to do,” Hall said.

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