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Utah Senate approves eminent-domain authority and companion funding to pursue federal land claims
Summary
The Senate passed House Bill 143 to let Utah use eminent domain to acquire federally held land that blocks access to state school trust lands, and approved a related appropriation plan to fund litigation. Sponsors argued it would unlock revenues for schools; critics warned of near-certain lawsuits and fiscal risk.
The Utah Senate on March 9 passed House Bill 143, a measure authorizing the state to acquire property from the federal government by eminent domain where federal holdings block access to school trust lands. Senate supporters framed the bill as a way to recover revenues the state claims were promised in its Enabling Act; opponents warned the state would almost certainly face costly litigation.
Sponsor Sen. Cinder Urquhart told colleagues that federal policies have left Utah’s school trust lands effectively inaccessible and that ‘‘we will be in court on this’’ to press the state’s legal claims. Urquhart pointed to the Utah Enabling Act and argued the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act…
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