Seven years ago, John Dougall was a conservative, transparency-minded agitator in the Utah House weighing his options after 10 years in office.
He had sponsored a notable slate of bills that helped shape the modern era of Utah government — from a successful overhaul of the state’s tax code that remains largely in place today to the colossal and bruising failure of a restrictive public records bill that prompted broad scorn and a hasty repeal two weeks after it was signed into law.
His next move came as something of a surprise to political watchers.