Kera Birkeland is an American politician, educator, and coach from Utah. She currently serves as the representative for Utah House District 4. She is on the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, House Education Committee, and House Judiciary Committee.[2] Birkeland replaced Logan Wilde in April 2020, and was elected to a full term in 2020, with 64 percent of the vote.[3]
Life
Birkeland was home taught between 1983-2000.[4] She is an accomplished pianist and performed “Colors of the Wind” at the Miss Montana Beauty Pageant in 2001. [5]
Birkeland later attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. In a 2017 blog post on her personal business website she wrote that she “graduated from BYU.” [6] In 2020 interview with Utah Policy,[7] Birkeland said she “attended BYU the summer of 2001 and 2002.” Birkeland’s personal LinkedIn page reflects the 2001-2002 dates.[8] The State of Utah lists her education as “BYU.”[9]
She expressed distaste toward Donald Trump at the time.[11] Birkeland reported being threatened in the bathroom by other female[12] Trump supporters who allegedly told her "you should die" after disagreements regarding floor proceedings.[13]
In January 2021, Birkeland introduced a resolution to honor Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell over retired player Shaquille O'Neal, as well as to make 'Spida' (Mitchell's nickname) the state arachnid of Utah. The resolution passed.[14]
Legislative Work
During the 2021 legislative session, Birkeland led efforts and introduced a bill to ban female transgender athletes from high school sports in Utah.[15] This was vetoed by Republican Utah GovernorSpencer Cox but passed with a supermajority in the legislature in a subsequent vote after proponents flipped ten votes in the state house and five in the senate.[16] The law currently faces ongoing litigation led by the ACLU of Utah.[17]
In August, a state judge issued an injunction stopping enforcement of the ban, but left the rest of the bill in effect, meaning that transgender girls can seek permission from the commission to play on girls high school sports teams.[18]
The names of the minor age athletes and the resulting rulings brought by parents to the board, are confidential under Utah government records law.[19] On February 7, 2024, Birkeland revealed that 4[20] student athletes had petitioned the Utah sports commission and all 4 had been denied in closed session.[21]
