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First Substitute H.J.R. 17

Representative Michael E. Noel proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
RESOLUTION URGING ACTION FOR

             2     
APPARENT BREACHES OF UTAH'S

             3     
ENABLING ACT AND FEDERAL

             4     
CONSTITUTION

             5     
2004 GENERAL SESSION

             6     
STATE OF UTAH

             7     
Sponsor: Michael E. Noel

             8      Douglas C. Aagard
             9      J. Stuart Adams
             10      Roger E. Barrus
             11      Chad E. Bennion
             12      Calvin G. Bird
             13      DeMar Bud Bowman
             14      Katherine M. Bryson
             15      Don E. Bush
             16      Craig W. Buttars
             17      D. Gregg Buxton
             18      David Clark
             19      David N. CoxBrad L. Dee
Glenn A. Donnelson
James A. Dunnigan
James A. Ferrin
James R. Gowans
Kory M. Holdaway
Gregory H. Hughes
Eric K. Hutchings
Bradley T. Johnson
Brad King
Todd E. KiserBradley G. Last
Dana C. Love
Michael T. Morley
Darin G. Peterson
J. Morgan Philpot
Jack A. Seitz
Mike Thompson
David Ure
Stephen H. Urquhart
Peggy Wallace
R. Curt Webb              20     
             21      LONG TITLE
             22      General Description:
             23          This joint resolution of the Legislature urges the Utah Attorney General's Office to
             24      investigate apparent breaches of trust and constitutional violations.
             25      Highlighted Provisions:
             26          This resolution:
             27          .    urges Utah's Attorney General to investigate apparent breaches of Utah's Enabling


             28      Act and the United States Constitution by the United States Senate and the United States House


             29      of Representatives and to report to the Legislature;
             30          .    urges Utah's Attorney General to look to all controlling and persuasive federal and
             31      state constitutional, statutory, and case authorities, including but not limited to
             32      Article I, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution, in order to develop arguments under
             33      existing law and, if necessary, develop nonfrivolous arguments for the extension,
             34      modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law;
             35          .    provides investigative considerations for use by the Attorney General in the conduct
             36      of the investigation; and
             37          .    urges the Utah Constitutional Defense Council to participate in the investigation.
             38      Special Clauses:
             39          None
             40     
             41      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             42          WHEREAS, the Utah Enabling Act is a compact between the Senate and House of
             43      Representatives of the United States of America and the inhabitants of the Territory of Utah;
             44          WHEREAS, the state of Utah was admitted under the Utah Enabling Act "on an equal
             45      footing with the original states";
             46          WHEREAS, equal footing is defined as cited in United States v. Texas, 339 U.S. 707,
             47      1950, as equality of political rights and sovereignty;
             48          WHEREAS, the original states declared themselves sovereign and independent
             49      according to the limits of their respective territories;
             50          WHEREAS, this territorial sovereignty was in no way diminished or subordinated to
             51      the legislative authority of Congress under the Constitution;
             52          WHEREAS, the sovereignty of a state cannot exist without a territorial domain upon
             53      which it is to act as cited in Green v. Biddle, 21 U.S. 1, 1821;
             54          WHEREAS, the people of the original states did reserve to themselves the right to
             55      exercise sovereign municipal governance, or political rights, throughout the limits of their
             56      territory;
             57          WHEREAS, Sec. 3 of the Utah Enabling Act requires that until the title to the
             58      unappropriated public lands lying within the limits of the state shall have been extinguished by
             59      the United States, the same shall be and remain subject to the disposition of the United States;



             60          WHEREAS, upon admission of the state of Utah as a member of the American
             61      confederacy on an equal footing with the original states, the laws of the former territory and the
             62      new state are to be in full force and effect in the state and the laws of the United States are to
             63      have "the same force and effect within the said State as elsewhere within the United States";
             64          WHEREAS, the United States does today assert complete legislative jurisdiction
             65      without limitation over approximately 67% of the state which remains public domain;
             66          WHEREAS, this legislative jurisdiction is asserted under authority of the constitutional
             67      supremacy clause, thereby extinguishing every state legislative act thereon at the will of
             68      Congress;
             69          WHEREAS, the scope of federal governmental power over the public lands of the state
             70      of Utah is demonstrated by the fact that, under current federal law, federal officers may search
             71      and seize both persons and property without warrant or process upon the public domain
             72      notwithstanding the constitutional safeguard against unwarranted search and seizure;
             73          WHEREAS, Congress has proclaimed that, as of October 21, 1976, it is federal policy
             74      that the public lands be retained in federal ownership, which denies to the schools of the state
             75      of Utah that 5% of proceeds of sale to which they are entitled under Sec. 9 of the Utah
             76      Enabling Act;
             77          WHEREAS, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States stand in
             78      material breach of certain terms of the Utah Enabling Act with the inhabitants of the state of
             79      Utah;
             80          WHEREAS, since the state of Utah is denied sovereign governance upon public lands
             81      within its borders, it is denied equal footing with the original states;
             82          WHEREAS, since the people of the state of Utah are denied the right to form and to
             83      administer a government upon that portion of territory otherwise committed to them for the
             84      purposes of their state by terms of their enabling Act compact with the United States, but which
             85      remains under complete federal legislative jurisdiction, the people are also denied their
             86      political rights;
             87          WHEREAS, denial of political rights is tantamount to denial of republican self
             88      governance, including local law enforcement, as guaranteed under Article IV, Section 4 of the
             89      United States Constitution;
             90          WHEREAS, since statehood is defined as "people, territory, and governance," the


             91      people of the state of Utah are denied statehood upon the 67% of the state which remains
             92      subject to federal territorial governance in the form of complete, unlimited, and supreme
             93      federal legislative jurisdiction;
             94          WHEREAS, by retaining the public lands of the state of Utah in federal ownership,
             95      Congress denies its trust obligation under the Utah Enabling Act compact to maintain these
             96      lands subject to disposition; and
             97          WHEREAS, material breach of specific and binding terms of the Utah Enabling Act
             98      compact by Congress has resulted in the violation of provisions of Article IV, Sections 3 and 4
             99      of the United States Constitution:
             100          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urge
             101      the Utah Attorney General to immediately commence an investigation into these apparent
             102      breaches of trust and constitutional violations and that he report to the Legislature on the
             103      progress of the investigation.
             104          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urge the Attorney General to look
             105      to all controlling and persuasive federal and state constitutional, statutory, and case authorities,
             106      including but not limited to Article I, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution, which states
             107      "Frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential to the security of individual rights
             108      and the perpetuity of free government" and develop arguments under existing law and, if
             109      necessary, develop nonfrivolous arguments for the extension, modification, or reversal of
             110      existing law or the establishment of new law, in order to advise and recommend possible legal
             111      action for the redress of any breaches of trust or constitutional violations which the Attorney
             112      General finds as a result of this investigation.
             113          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urge the Attorney General to
             114      remain cognizant of the fact that the precedential value of cases and commentators tends to
             115      increase in proportion to their proximity to the adoption of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
             116      or any other amendments.
             117          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature strongly urge that the Utah
             118      Constitutional Defense Council participate in this investigation.
             119          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
             120      Attorney General, the Utah Constitutional Defense Council, the Majority Leader of the United
             121      States Senate, and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.


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