Governor Spencer Cox has signed a bill into law that allows the state to ignore some federal directives and orders.
The governor late Wednesday signed Senate Bill 57 , the Constitutional Sovereignty Act.
“Balancing power between state and federal sovereignty is an essential part of our constitutional system. This legislation gives us another way to push back on federal overreach and maintain that balance,” Gov. Cox said in a statement.
The bill is designed to allow the state to refuse to comply with some federal orders or directives, like federal air quality standards or public lands issues. But that’s only after a supermajority of the legislature agrees to pass a resolution stating as such.
The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, told FOX 13 News in an interview earlier this month that the bill would not allow every minor grievance the state may have with an ideologically opposed administration to be brought up. Instead, lawmakers must run a resolution to pick their topics.