Utah
Southern Utah lawmaker charged in poaching case resigns from Utah Legislature
Republican Rep. Travis Seegmiller poses for a portrait Jan. 30, 2020, on the state Capitol. Seegmiller introduced Tuesday that he plans to resign from the Utah Legislature this summer time as a consequence of a transfer. (Rick Bowmer, Related Press)
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ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah state Rep. Travis Seegmiller has introduced he plans to resign from the Utah Legislature this summer time.
Seegmiller, R-St. George, and his household plan to maneuver outdoors the boundaries of his district, that means he wants to surrender the place and withdraw from the present election, Home leaders stated in an announcement.
His resignation takes impact July 1.
“I admire Rep. Seegmiller’s service and settle for his resignation,” Home Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, stated in an announcement. “I want Rep. Seegmiller and his household nicely of their future plans and endeavors.”
The consultant served since he was appointed in February 2018. The Washington County Republican Get together will maintain a particular election to fill the emptiness left by Seegmiller in coming months.
Seegmiller made headlines final 12 months when he was accused of capturing a doe in a residential space. Seegmiller was charged in October in Washington County Justice Court docket with illegal taking of protected wildlife and two counts of illegal discharge of a firearm, all class B misdemeanors.
In a separate assertion supplied to KSL.com, Wilson stated leaders “monitored the state of affairs carefully and let the authorized course of play out.”
“Many members have been troubled by the accusations and had discussions about choices within the wake of his plea settlement. Nevertheless, due to Rep. Seegmiller’s resignation introduced this morning there isn’t a present plan to pursue this additional,” he stated.
Authorities watchdog group Higher Utah stated on Twitter the Home ought to have performed an ethics investigation into the incident and that “management shouldn’t have been ready for Seegmiller to hopefully resolve on his personal to resign.”
On Aug. 13, a person recognized as Seegmiller was standing close to a roadway when he fired from a shotgun that finally killed a doe, Utah Division of Wildlife Assets spokeswoman Religion Heaton Jolley stated. Whereas she stated Seegmiller did have a sound searching allow and shot the doe throughout a authorized searching interval for the boundary he was in, she stated he didn’t obtain permission from residents within the space to hunt on their personal land.
“It is unlawful to hunt on personal property or to enter personal property to reap an animal with out receiving written permission from the landowner beforehand,” she defined, including it is also unlawful to hunt inside 600 ft of a home or dwelling.
A resident instructed St. George Information that Seegmiller had stated he was out of labor and wanted deer meat for his household, and he stated he had gotten permission from the personal property the place he retrieved the deer. The house owner reported the incident to native police, however Seegmiller left the scene with the deer earlier than officers arrived, based on Jolley.
Seegmiller pleaded no contest to the cost of illegal taking of protected wildlife whereas trespassing final month on April 8. The opposite two fees within the instances have been dismissed. He was ordered to pay a $400 restitution tremendous to go to the Assist Cease Poaching Fund, based on court docket paperwork.
Contributing: Carter Williams