Congressman Bishop addresses Utah Senate on federal‑state balance, wild lands and border security

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate resolved into Committee of the Whole to hear a time‑certain address from Congressman Chris Bishop, who discussed federal‑state relations, public lands designations and border security.

Bishop told senators he supports a measure he described as a ‘‘repeal amendment’’ to give states a stronger role in prompting the federal government to reconsider policies. He said the proposal is not intended as nullification but as a mechanism for states to force reconsideration when two‑thirds of state legislatures agree. “If two thirds of the legislatures of the states think that a policy ' whether constitutional or not ' is the wrong type of policy, they can require the federal government to rethink it,” Bishop said.

On public lands, Bishop warned of what he characterized as executive‑branch overreach: “The Department of Interior is attempting to do a designation of land outside of Congress and I don't think they have the authority to do that,” he said, and signaled congressional pushback on unilateral designations. He identified wild lands and PILT reauthorization as likely items of future congressional action.

Bishop also addressed immigration and border security, urging a piecemeal approach focused first on border security, then on visa and paperwork issues. He cited apprehension concentrations in the Tucson sector and said border control is a priority: “Border security is the first of those,” he told senators, recommending that states push practical measures that can be solved quickly.

Senators questioned Bishop about tactics states could take to support repeal concepts and other federal measures; Bishop encouraged state resolutions of support and said bipartisan and regionally diverse backing would strengthen the effort.

The Committee of the Whole thanked Bishop for the presentation and dissolved back to the Senate floor, where regular calendar business resumed.