Republican state House Speaker Greg Hughes opened the 2017 legislative session with calls to tackle homelessness and for President Donald Trump to stop the Bears Ears National Monument.
Hughes began by praising the work that the state has already done to provide resources to end homelessness. While vowing to continue the effort, Hughes added that accountability will follow the money.
“This is just the beginning of what it is that we have to do. Now, I want to be clear: one city can’t take on this issue, one county can’t take on this issue, the state by itself even would not be able to take on this issue,” said the Draper Republican. “This is going to take a collaborative effort, but the state of Utah is not writing blank checks. We’re not sending out blank checks, hoping that our partners are going to be able to make this work out for us.”
A recent poll has shown that 55 percent of Utahns want Congress to move forward with plans to give more federal lands to the states. Hughes called the rules governing Bears Ears National Monument too restrictive.
“That monument, as I have talked with our Attorney General’s Office, is one of the most prescriptive and prohibitive monuments that we have seen. That is an overstep,” he said. “Those are not the objects in an Antiquities Act that you’ve ever seen attempted to be protected before. It is a great overstep. That’s why today I am calling for, and we will be pushing for, the new Trump Administration to rescind this national monument.”
The state Legislature has allocated $9 million for programs and four homeless shelters.
