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Gehrke: Without question, Orrin Hatch was 2017's most significant Utahn, but here are four choices for the best Utahn of the year

To be fair, who really thought so many people’s heads would explode when top editors picked Sen. Orrin Hatch to be “Utahn of the Year.” But sure enough, they did, and scraping brains off the ceiling is no way to spend Christmas.

It’s kind of appropriate though, because choosing Hatch was a no-brainer (see what I did there?).

The guy was key to rescinding protections for about 2 million acres of Utah’s precious landscapes, he helped dismantle the healthcare system that has enabled about 200,000 of his constituents to see a doctor if they get sick, and he championed an abomination of a tax bill that will put billions in the pockets of his donors.