Former Utah lawmaker Quinn Kotter resigned from his seat after serving one session in the Utah Legislature. However, on Wednesday night, the West Valley City Republican went out swinging, airing grievances about his colleagues, the legislative process and what he sees as ignorance about the U.S. Constitution among Utah politicians.
But the former lawmaker wasn’t there to personally deliver the attacks, and instead, Kotter’s sister read the grievances to Salt Lake County Republicans from a letter she said had been penned by her brother.
Republican delegates in House District 26 elected Matt MacPherson on Wednesday night to fill out the remaining 15 months of Kotter’s term. Kotter resigned in September, citing changes to his personal situation that have left him unable to continue serving. He was first elected in 2022, defeating Democrat Elizabeth Weight by 127 votes.
As votes were tabulated in the race to pick a successor, Karen Layton, Kotter’s sister, took to the podium to read a farewell letter from the former legislator that aimed to “set the record straight” on several issues.
In his letter, Kotter heaped scorn on his former Republican colleagues for rushing to pass HB215, a controversial piece of legislation that coupled a school voucher program with salary increases for public school teachers. House leadership brought the bill to the floor for a vote before the end of the second week of the 2023 session, which caught Kotter off guard because legislative rules dictated the soonest a vote would happen was the following week.
“I was approached by the Rules Committee chair, who asked me what my vote was. I responded that I hadn’t read the bill yet and wanted to read it in great detail over the weekend. He responded that leadership coordinated to suspend the rules so the vote could be taken that day, Friday. I told him that was not good legislative procedure and I could not have the opportunity to read a long bill, especially one that was very controversial,” Kotter’s letter read.
Kotter, who voted “no” on the bill, said the rushed process left a bad taste in his mouth.
“The bill had a major substitution on the House floor, something I found to be a regular occurrence. I lost a lot of respect for (legislative) leadership that day. On a side note, I also lost a great deal of respect for the governor’s office that day,” Kotter wrote.
‘Trolls and demons’
Lawmakers also moved at warp speed in the 2023 session to approve a ban on most gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state. Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB16 into law before the second week of the session had ended.
Kotter defended himself from the backlash that sprang from quoting the Book of Genesis in the Bible to support the legislation.
“When I left the committee meeting, I realized that I had probably committed political suicide. Those worries intensified over the next hours, days and weeks as I received some of the most vitriolic comments from people all over,” Kotter said.
He added he was most surprised by the criticism from fellow Republicans.
“I want you to know that of all the vitriol that was thrown at my heart, the worst came from Republican Party leaders right here in House District 26. Those are the communications that cut me the deepest. Although heavily criticized for having quoted the Bible, I make absolutely no apology to anyone for having done so.”
When the bill came up for final passage on the House floor, Kotter said he was troubled by another last-minute substitution that instituted a pause in the ability of doctors to prescribe hormone treatments for transgender youth immediately instead of waiting a few months.
In his letter, Kotter explained he voted against SB16 because he thought it would send a message to his critics that he’s not a “hater” toward transgender people. He now says he regrets voting no.
“I voted against all my principles when I pressed the ‘no’ button. As soon as voting was closed on the bill, my name was in red for everyone to see,” Layton read in Kotter’s words. “I felt completely empty, abandoned and that I had done the wrong thing. This is the vote that I ask forgiveness for. My heart voted yes, but the trolls and demons got the better of me, and I voted no on the floor. I fully regret this vote. I should have voted yes.”
The Constitution
Kotter was the only member of the House to vote against the $29 billion budget lawmakers passed on the final night of the 2023 session. During floor debate, Kotter said the state was too reliant on federal funding.
In the letter read Wednesday, Kotter defended that vote, arguing that federal money comes with too many strings attached. Before concluding his manifesto, Kotter took a swipe at his former colleagues and other elected officials for what he felt was a lack of reverence for the Constitution.
“Many have not read or studied the Constitution and are not willing to do so. I do not know why this is, but I know it would improve our nation tremendously if all our elected officials understood and obeyed the proper boundaries of government. I’m worried for our state government if everyone at the Capitol, no matter what their position, does not soon start obeying the original intent of the Constitution and the limits on government that it prescribes.”
Kotter declined to elaborate further on his letter when contacted by The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity I had to serve the people of Utah as an elected representative and to give my all in defending and obeying the Constitution. It was an honor,” Kotter said in a text message.
