Congress

The Senate parliamentarian ruled out Lee's proposal to sell federal land for housing and infrastructure from the Republicans’ big tax and spending cut bill. The Senate is pushing hard to pass the "big beautiful bill" by July 4.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the approach is problematic while Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon voiced qualified support for plans to tap federal land for development.

Colleagues have grown accustomed to Lee’s online persona, mostly brushing it off. That is, until this past week, after his posts about the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband incensed fellow senators.

The proposal would make 18.7 million acres of Utah public lands eligible to be sold, including parcels that overlap with popular trails like Mount Ogden, Grandeur Peak and Mount Timpanogos.

The draft provision from Utah's senior senator comes after a similar proposal, backed by Rep. Celeste Maloy, was narrowly defeated in the House. Lee says the sales would target isolated parcels that could be used for housing or infrastructure.

Wyoming state Sen. Bob Ide backs a niche argument that Congress is constitutionally obligated to hand over ownership of its land. In neighboring Utah, state leaders firmly believe they should have more control of federal land.

The amendment proposed by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy would have sold more than 10,000 acres of federal land near St. George to local governments.

Over 200 volunteers flew to the capitol to help sew quilts together and deliver them to Congress. Mormon Women for Ethical Government and Women Building Peace delivered around 60 quilts.

Local leaders want to shore up roads and water infrastructure for Washington County’s future growth. Conservationists worry it could open the door to privatizing Western landscapes.

Without clear details on how Congressional Republicans' plan to sell or transfer 460,000 acres of public land will work, skeptics worry it could be a giveaway for developers and mining companies.

Utah Sen. John Curtis stressed the importance of public-private partnerships during a panel discussion to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition in Salt Lake City.

Smoot represented Utah in the senate from 1903-1933 and was a central architect of the United States’ tariff policies leading up to and during the Great Depression.