Utah

Utah Legislature votes to join lawsuit on federal lands

Published

1 year ago

September 18, 2024

Utah Legislature votes to join lawsuit on federal lands

The state Legislature’s Management Committee voted Tuesday to file a friend of the court brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Utah Attorney General’s lawsuit filed in August over 18.5 million acres of “unappropriated” public lands under federal ownership.

A tie vote of 4-4 was broken by leadership, as per rules, when House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, voted once again in favor of supporting the unique lawsuit.

Both Schultz and Adams said it is well past time that Utah do something about the vast amount of land controlled by the federal government that they say is often left in disarray and neglected.

“I’ve had the opportunity to watch Utah’s public lands over the last almost 40 or almost 50 years,” Schultz said. “And what is happening to our public lands kills me. As a conservationist at heart, who spends a lot of his own money, a lot of my own money, on improving land and making it better — to see the mismanagement that’s happening on our Forest Service lands, on our BLM lands, on all of the federally managed lands, is sickening, and we should all be ashamed of it. It’s going backwards.”

The amicus curiae, or friend of the court brief, comes in response to a lawsuit announced last month in a press conference by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, joined by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes.

The country’s highest court has yet to take up the case. But if it were to rule in Utah’s favor, control of a significant portion of public lands would shift to state capitals like Phoenix, Boise and Salt Lake City, instead of the nation’s Capitol 2,000 miles away.

It is those people, Schultz added, in charge of those lands in Utah — “bureaucrats” far removed from the state — who are out of touch with what is going on with the landscapes.

“It is not right and it is not fair,” he asserted.

Adams said the lawsuit leaves untouched places already under active management by federal agencies such as national parks, wilderness areas, national forests, monuments, tribal lands or military properties — land he describes as appropriated and serving a designated use. That amounts to 18.8 million acres.

But 18.5 million acres of federal land is unencumbered for a special purpose, land that the state fears will soon change with public land restrictions that no longer make the land public multiuse and for purposes of sustained yield — something etched in stone under the Federal Lands Policy Management Act passed in 1976.

The land ownership by the federal government puts Utah at a distinct disadvantage, Adams said.

“In comparison the federal government owns less than 1% of the ground in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Our Founding Fathers took care of those three states,” Adams said. “If you move on, less than 3% of the land is federally owned in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and yet they own 70% of the land here in Utah.”

Look but don’t touch

Some GOP lawmakers have said the federal government is whittling away access to land they control, via restrictions that include 500 miles of roads closed and more to come. Grazing allotments are at risk as well, due to a new position by the Bureau of Land Management that nongovernment organizations are on an equal footing when it comes to being granted leases — but for conservation purposes lawmakers say have the potential to decimate public access.

“It takes a hands off, don’t touch, stay out approach, and they’re going to continue to close down more roads. This is access to some of those of us that love to get out and recreate, camp and climb or whatever it is,” Schultz said. “Hiking in our public land, they’re no longer going to have access to some of their favorite areas unless they’re willing to walk in 15 to 20 miles to get … to this area or to the area where they historically had access — and that is not fair to people with disabilities and that is not fair to people who can’t hike that far in.”

Several Democratic members of the Legislative Management Committee made clear their objection to Utah’s involvement, citing the costs that will run into the millions and the small chance of any tangible victory.

“I think it’ll be taxpayer money being lost in another fruitless litigation. But we will lose outdoor recreation opportunities. We will lose habitat for wildlife, and this will provide us with an opportunity to privatize some of the 70% of the land we all recreate on,” said Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights.

Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, also wanted her name put on record as opposing the legal action.

But if the state is successful, it would take over leasing on those federal lands.

Utah has hired former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement and leading Supreme Court advocate Erin Murphy to argue the case, which could add up to $14 million in costs.

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Utah

Why Utah Represents Arizona State’s True Turning Point

Published

2 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Why Utah Represents Arizona State’s True Turning Point

Arizona State basketball is at a crossroads. After back-to-back road losses to Baylor and TCU, the Sun Devils are suddenly fighting just to stay above .500.

Now, with Utah coming to town Saturday afternoon, this isn’t just another conference game. It feels bigger than that. It feels like the moment that decides whether this season still has life or if it quietly fades away.

The Danger of Falling Below .500

All season long, Arizona State has had one strange pattern.

Every time they dropped to .500, they responded with a win. They never let things spiral.

But now they’re sitting right on the edge again.

A loss to Utah would push them below .500 for the first time all year. That might not sound dramatic, but it matters for team morale.

Teams feel that shift. Confidence changes. Urgency changes. And with only a few games left before the Big 12 Tournament, there isn’t much time to recover.

That’s why this Utah game feels different.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams (10) scores a basket over Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Utah Is Playing Better — Especially on Defense

When these two teams met a few weeks ago, Utah was struggling.

Since then, they’ve improved. They’re still built around their top scorers, who combine for around 40 points per game, but the real difference lately has been defense.

Utah has started putting together more complete defensive performances. They’re contesting shots better. They’re finishing possessions. They’re not folding as easily in the second half.

That matters because Arizona State’s biggest issue right now isn’t effort, it’s physical depth.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley disputes a call with an official during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Real Niche Problem: Guard-Heavy and Worn Down

Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: Arizona State’s roster balance is off.

Because of injuries, especially the likely season-ending absence of Marcus Adams Jr., the Sun Devils are extremely guard-heavy right now. More than half of the available players are guards. That creates matchup issues, especially against physical teams.

We saw it against TCU. They got to the free-throw line 36 times.

They won the physical battle. Even when their best scorer struggled, they still controlled the game inside.

ASU just doesn’t have the same frontcourt depth.

With only a few true bigs available and some undersized forwards playing bigger roles than expected, the team can get worn down.

Late in games, that shows up in missed rebounds, second-chance points, and tired legs.

It’s not about hustle. It’s about bodies.

Why Saturday Truly Matters

If Arizona State beats Utah, everything changes.

Suddenly, you’re heading into Senior Night against Kansas with momentum. Win that, and you’re talking about a possible 7–11 conference finish and a much better Big 12 Tournament matchup.

From there? Anything can happen.

But if they lose Saturday, the math and the hope get much harder.

That’s why this game isn’t just about Utah.

It’s about belief. It’s about roster limitations. And it’s about whether this team has one more push left in them before the season runs out.

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Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration

Published

14 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration

SALT LAKE CITY — A controversial Utah proposal to crack down on the presence of immigrants in the country illegally that had seemed stalled gained new life Friday, passing muster in new form in a relatively narrow vote.

In a 39-33 vote, the Utah House approved HB386 — amended with portions of HB88, which stalled in the House on Monday — and the revamped measure now goes to the Utah Senate for consideration.

The reworked version of HB386, originally meant just to repeal outdated immigration legislation, now also contains provisions prohibiting immigrants in the country illegally from being able to tap into in-state university tuition, certain home loan programs and certain professional licensing.

The new HB386 isn’t as far-reaching as HB88, which also would have prohibited immigrants in the country illegally from being able to access certain public benefits like food at food pantries, immunizations for communicable diseases and emergency housing.

Moreover, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton and the HB88 sponsor, stressed that the new provisions in HB386 wouldn’t impact immigrants in the country legally. He touted HB88 as a means of making sure taxpayer money isn’t funneled to programming that immigrants in the country illegally can tap.

Rep. Lisa Shepherd, R-Provo, the HB386 sponsor, sounded a similar message, referencing, with chagrin, the provision allowing certain students in the country illegally to access lower in-state tuition rates at Utah’s public universities. Because of such provisions “we’re taking care of other countries’ children first, and I want to take care of Utahns first. In my campaign I ran and said Utahns first and this bill will put Utahns first,” she said.

If we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school and getting an education, it is really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It’s not clear to me at all that we have benefitted the rest of us.

–Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful

The relatively narrow 39-33 vote, atypical in the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature, followed several other narrow, hotly contested procedural votes to formally amend HB386. Foes, including both Democrats and Republicans, took particular umbrage with provisions prohibiting immigrants in the country illegally from being able to pay in-state tuition and access certain scholarships.

As is, students in the country illegally who have attended high school for at least three years in Utah and meet other guidelines may pay lower in-state tuition, but if they have to pay out-of-state tuition instead, they could no longer afford to go to college.

“If we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school and getting an education, it is really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It’s not clear to me at all that we have benefitted the rest of us,” said Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful.

Rep. Hoang Nguyen, D-Salt Lake City, noted her own hardscrabble upbringing as an immigrant from Vietnam and said the changes outlined in the reworked version of HB386 run counter to what she believes Utah stands for.

“I fear that what we’re doing here in Utah is we are eroding what truly makes Utah special, the Utah way. We are starting to adopt policies that are regressive and don’t take care of people. Utahns are one thing. Citizens are one thing. People is the first thing,” she said.

Rep. John Arthur, D-Cottonwood Heights, said the measure sends a negative message to the immigrant students impacted.

“If we pass this bill today, colleagues, we will be telling these young people — again, who have graduated from our high schools, these kids who have gone to at least three years of school here — that you’re no longer a Utahn,” he said.

If we are compassionate to those who come the legal way and we are compassionate to those who already live here, that does not mean that we lack compassion for others in other ways.

–Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland

Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland, said the debate underscores a “fallacy” about compassion. She backed the reworked version of HB386, saying Utah resources should be first spend on those in the country legally.

“If we are compassionate to those who come the legal way and we are compassionate to those who already live here, that does not mean that we lack compassion for others in other ways,” she said.

The original version of HB386 calls for repeal of immigration laws on the books that are outdated because other triggering requirements have not been met or they run counter to federal law.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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