The debate in Utah’s 4th District highlights opposing views on abortion, education and transgender issues

SALT LAKE CITY — Republican Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah and Democratic candidate Katrina Fallick-Wang sought common ground on the economy, immigration and foreign policy during a televised debate Thursday, but encountered irreconcilable differences over education, abortion and participation of transgender students in sports.

Transgender participation in sports

Owens, who has represented the state’s 4th Congressional District since 2021, said he supports a statewide ban on biological boys who are transgender participating in girls’ sports. Former President Donald Trump proposed a similar blanket ban last week during an all-female town hall meeting. The issue comes down to enforcing fairness for female athletes and reaffirming traditional definitions of male and female, Owens said.

“Let’s not force something that’s not common sense on the rest of us and think we’re going to put up with it,” Owens said.

Fallick-Wang, an email marketing manager and first-time candidate, said that as a “member of the LGBTQ community” with a transgender child, she decided to run for office to “protect” gay and transgender children. Fallick-Wang, who is a frequent community activist on progressive issues, said allowing struggling children to play sports as the gender with which they identify poses no harm to their peers. However, a ban could lead to “their future being affected”.

Training: Standardized or tailor-made?

The candidates also expressed opposing views on the issue of education.

Owens said he would support a school voucher program like the Utah Fits All scholarship to be implemented statewide. As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, Owens has placed an emphasis on free-market solutions to educational disparities by introducing bills that would create K-12 homeschool grants and ban college accreditors from providing diversity, equity and education programs to demand inclusion.

Fallick-Wang opposed a national school voucher system, saying it would widen disparities in education quality. If elected in 2022 in the district that favored Owens by nearly 30 percentage points, Fallick-Wang said she would advocate for public school funding to be taken over by the states and fully controlled by the federal government, with Congress Educational funds for this are distributed by the Ministry of Education throughout the country.

“Children who live in states that do not have the same income should not receive an inferior education just because of the state in which they live,” Fallick-Wang said.

Abortion: Should Congress decide the issue for the states?

Fallick-Wang told reporters after the debate that she “strongly” supports federal laws that allow abortions during all nine months of pregnancy without restrictions on elective abortions. Fallick-Wang described all abortions, including subsequent elective abortions of unborn human fetuses, as “health care” and said that all abortion-related decisions should be left to patients and their doctors.

Owens said he agreed with Fallick-Wang that restricting abortion is not the job of the federal government. However, he expressed strong support for Utah’s abortion law, which bans all elective abortions except for rape, incest and conditions that threaten the life of the mother. Debates about abortion should remain at the state level, Owens said. If residents don’t agree with their state’s abortion restrictions, “you can always move.”

“America First” on economics and foreign policy

The candidates were significantly more willing to compromise on issues such as the rising cost of living, the crisis at the southern border and conflicts abroad.

Cost of living:

Owens blamed the Biden-Harris administration for worsening inflation. He said Congress should make public land available for housing construction to increase housing supply. Owens also said lawmakers must be prepared to reform Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare or “we’re not talking about our debt.”

Fallick-Wang also supported reforms to curb government spending. But their answers focused on ways to “raise revenue,” including by increasing taxes on businesses and closing tax loopholes. Fallick-Wang proposed banning large companies and foreign investors from buying up houses and dominating the rental business.

Crisis at the border:

Fallick-Wang said bipartisanship is essential to solving the country’s broken immigration system. “Extreme” views on both sides of the aisle have prevented a solution that must include increased border security in addition to a more accessible path to citizenship for migrant families.

Owens said bipartisanship is only possible when both parties have “the same end goal” and put “America first.” Owens called for a return to Trump-era border policies: “The key is how do we get someone in place, President Trump, who understands the threat and begins to alleviate that threat as quickly as possible.”

Conflicts abroad:

Owens called Russia “a bad actor” and said there was a place for American support for Ukraine as long as Ukraine explains exactly how U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent and how it plans to end the conflict. Owens is “absolutely” convinced that Israel’s tactics in the war in Gaza were justified and said America’s job is to support its ally, not “thwart them.”

Fallick-Wang said the United States must continue its tradition of supporting threatened democracies by helping Ukraine defeat Russia without ceding territory. Fallick-Wang said the United States needs to push Israel in a “more diplomatic direction” that honors the lives of Israelis and Palestinians in its war against Iranian-backed terrorist organizations.

The Utah Debate Commission hosted the debate Thursday evening at the University of Utah’s Eccles Broadcast Center. It was moderated by KUER Deputy News Director Caroline Ballard.

To watch the debate in full, click on the video player below.