Utah Stories

A Cardboard Cut-Out of Congresswoman Mia Love Could be the Weirdest Town Hall in the Country

At cardboard Mia Love town hall, advocates optimistic conservative congresswoman will listen.

|


Clare Coonan speaks at a Utah Indivisble town hall featuring a cardboard cutout of Rep. Mia Love. Coonan is a Utahn who organized the event in similar fashion to the Utahns Speak Out’s Town Hall for All, by Utahns Speak Out. (KUTV2)

Utah’s congressional district 4 may have seen the lowest voter turnout for any U.S. House of Representatives race. That doesn’t mean its congresswoman, Mia Love, doesn’t have a whole bunch of questions from constituents to deal with.

Utah’s Town Hall for All on Feb. 24 saw resistance groups to President Donald Trump, including Utah Indivisible, organize an event that commented on a lack of town halls by the state’s federal delegation. Cardboard cutouts of the six senators and representatives were there.

They hold out such hope even though Love herself refused to work with volunteer organizers on putting together a town hall where the questions were asked, according to an organizer who said she is running against Love in 2018.

In similar fashion, Utah Indivisible, organized by locals, continued that approach March 11 at a West Jordan middle school. It’s part of its plans to hold similar meetings monthly. The event saw a cardboard cutout of Love, where seven panelists took questions from Love’s constituents.

Approximately 27 questions were posed in not even 90 minutes. Utah Indivisible said the inquiries would be given to Love.

Moderators, panelists and attendees alike were optimistic that Love will entertain them.

“The imitation of Love was featured after Utah Indivisible organized the town hall. That happened after Love refused to allow volunteer organization members to organize the town hall with Love,” Director Laurel Price, Utah Indivisible volunteer Marla Mott-Smith said. Mott-Smith met twice with Price and other Love staffers, Mott-Smith said. The second time, members “said (they) had a town hall organized and offered to work with Laurel to sage it,” Mott-Smith said.

“Mia refused, so we proceeded without her,” added Mott-Smith, who said during the town hall that she is running for Love’s seat, open next year. Mott-Smith later told the author she is running as a Democrat and completing paperwork now.

“I can say something very factual: in an hour-and-a-half meeting on health care, the name of the president didn’t come up once. I think that is how they would like to have it,” Utah Health Policy Project Education and Communications Director Jason Stevenson added of his visit with Love’s staff. “Trump has a limited influence on policy matters for now. Dealing with (Love) directly is something she wants to talk about. I think the policy side is where you can engage, but you won’t get far in discussing the presidency.”

Panelists also responded to questions and statements on the Obamacare replacement percolating in the U.S. Congress, the congresswoman’s plans on tackling the environment, reports that refugees were afraid of attending the town hall and the need to make that public and alleged corruption by the Trump administration.

, ,

Join our newsletter.
Stay informed.

Related Articles


  • The “Monster” of Bear Lake

    Have you ever heard of Utah’s hidden lake monsters? Beyond the tourist buzz of Bear Lake, whispers of a mysterious creature have persisted for generations. Dive into the untold stories, rare sightings, and eerie folklore surrounding Utah’s most elusive aquatic legend. Are the rumors real, or just a product of overactive imaginations?

    To access this post, you must purchase Full Access Membership.


  • Frisco, Utah: The Untold Story of the West’s Most Notorious Ghost Town

    Once a wild silver mining town, Frisco, Utah, was infamous for its nightly violence and lawless streets. Known as the “toughest mining town in the West,” its fortunes changed after a catastrophic mine collapse. Today, the deserted remains of Frisco, with its decaying kilns and empty streets, tell the story of a town that lived fast and died young. The mysteries of its vanished lawman and the outlaws who once ruled the streets still linger in its desolate landscape.

    To access this post, you must purchase Full Access Membership.


  • From Felon to Founder: How Rocky Rebuilt His Life After 12 Felony Convictions

    By the age of eight, Rocky was already using drugs, and by his twenties, he had 12 felony convictions and had spent years behind bars. His future seemed sealed. But then, something unexpected happened. Learn how Rocky defied the odds, escaped the cycle of addiction and crime, and turned his shattered life into a story of redemption and success.


  • Utah Book Bans Ignite Cultural Clash: Educator John Arthur on Local Control

    A battle over book bans is sweeping Utah’s schools, pitting state laws against local communities’ rights to shape education. Utah Teacher of the Year John Arthur steps into the fray, challenging restrictions that he believes rob students of vital perspectives and the freedom to explore. Are blanket bans the answer, or are we sacrificing young minds in a cultural clash?