Cliven Bundy may not have much support in the rest of America, but his views are well represented in Congress.
A controversial legislative proposal released Thursday by Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT) would transfer all federally-owned energy and mineral resources in southern Utah to state control, paving the way for massive new uranium, coal, and oil extraction across the area’s national forests, redrock canyons, and other public lands.
Bishop is offering the bill as an alternative to a proposal by tribal nations to protect the 1.9 million acre Bears Ears area of southern Utah as a national monument. According to a recent analysis by the Center for American Progress, the Bears Ears cultural area contains more than 100,000 unprotected archaeological sites and is the most vulnerable U.S. site for looting, vandalism, and grave robbing.
In addition to granting the State of Utah unilateral control over federal energy and minerals across southern Utah, Bishop’s bill would open Recapture Canyon – an area rich in Native American sacred sites – to motorized vehicles, fulfilling an objective of anti-government activists who staged an armed takeover of the area in 2014.
The bill is not expected to pass, in large part because House Republicans simply haven’t scheduled that many working days between now and the November elections.
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2009—Virginia GOP candidate raises specter of civil war:
Whether or not you've seen video of Catherine Crabill, a Republican nominee for Virginia House of Delegates, saying conservatives will be forced to "the bullet box" if they can't win at "the ballot box," hold onto your seat -- because there's more: Virginia GOP candidate raises specter of civil war: "We may very well be called to pledge our lives" to defeat Obama.
Crabill (who believes the U.S. government orchestrated the Oklahoma City bombing) claimed the Obama administration is pursuing legislation that will turn it into "the thought police" and wants to put Americans in "the chains of slavery."
Crabill's plan to stop Obama? Follow Texas Governor Rick Perry's lead and declare Virginia's sovereignty from the United States of America:
What would I do as a state delegate? ... I would like to follow in the footsteps of the great state of Texas and Governor Rick Perry ... They were reasserting their tenth amendment right to sovereignty.
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