SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The Utah State Legislature is filing an amicus brief supporting a public lands lawsuit against the federal government, but not all Utah leaders are on board.
On Tuesday, the Legislative Management Committee tied its vote on whether or not to file an amicus brief — also referred to as a “friend of the court” brief — in response to the Utah Attorney General’s Office suing the United States.
Last month, the office sued the federal government, placing the long-standing issue of who controls Utah’s public lands before the U.S. Supreme Court.
PREVIOUS STORY: Utah files lawsuit against federal government over control of 34% of state
The lawsuit claims the federal government controls nearly 70% of Utah’s lands — a high number compared to several East Coast states with only one percent of their lands controlled by the federal government. Attorney General Sean Reyes and Governor Spencer Cox are seeking to gain control of 18.5 million acres of Utah land through the lawsuit.