Utah Rep. LaWanna Shurtliff hospitalized with breathing problems

Rep. LaWanna Shurtliff, D-Ogden | Utah Legislature

Shurtliff, 85, tests negative for COVID-19, but diagnosed with pneumonia

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah state lawmaker this week was hospitalized in an intensive care unit for breathing problems.

Rep. LaWanna “Lou” Shurtliff, D-Ogden, was admitted to the McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Tuesday, according to a tweet posted by House Minority Leader Brian King on Wednesday.

King said she had tested negative for COVID-19 but had been diagnosed with pneumonia.

“Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers,” King wrote.

The Utah House Democratic Caucus issued a statement Wednesday sharing the news that Shurtliff, 85, was hospitalized.

“As our colleague and friend, we are obviously very concerned about her well-being,” the caucus statement said. “We wish her a quick and full recovery.”

House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, tweeted Wednesday his “thoughts and prayers.”

“The doctors and nurses at McKay-Dee Hospital are taking great care of her,” Wilson tweeted. “I am grateful for their efforts and wish Lou a full and speedy recovery.”

Shurtliff, a retired teacher, serves Utah’s House District 10, which encompasses South Ogden and Washington Terrace in Weber County. Before she won another term to the seat this year, she served in the Legislature for nine years, from 1999 to 2008.

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