Ken Ivory

Ken Ivory^[2] is an American politician and a Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 47 since January 1, 2011.

Early Life and Career

Ivory earned his BA in Japanese from Brigham Young University and his JD from California Western School of Law. Ivory lives in West Jordan, Utah and serves as the President of Ivory Law.^[3] Ivory is currently employed by the American Lands Council, and serves as president of the non-profit.^[4]

Political career

• 2012 Ivory was unopposed for the June 26, 2012 Republican Primary^[5] and won the three-way November 6, 2012 General election with 7,354 votes (62.5%) against Democratic nominee Joseph Huey and Libertarian candidate Chase Lantis.^[6]

• 2010 Ivory challenged District 47 incumbent Republican Representative Steven Mascaro and was chosen by the Republican convention for the November 2, 2010 General election; Ivory won with 4,384 votes (61%) against Democratic nominee John Rendell,^[7] who had run for a Utah State Senate seat in 2008.

During the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions, Ivory served on the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Government Operations Committee, the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, and the House Rules Committee. During the interim, Ivory serves on the Government Operations Interim Committee and the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee. He is also a member of the Commission on Federalism and the Federal Funds Commission. ^[8]

2014 Sponsored Legislation

^[9]

Ivory also floor sponsored SB0261 Emergency Room Services Amendments, and SB0274S01 Water Jurisdiction Amendments.

Transfer of Public Lands Act

Ownership of Federal lands in the 50 states

Representative Ivory is a strong supporter of states' rights and has frequently advocated for Utah to gain control of federal lands. In 2012, Ivory sponsored HB 148, The Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act, which asserted that the federal government must grant federal land to the state of Utah.^[10] Though the bill was signed into law in 2012, federal lands have remained in control of the Department of the Interior through December 2014, while the state has attempted to educate and negotiate with Federal officials. As of November 2014, the Federal government has not agreed to enter negotiations.^[11]

As of 3 December 2014, effective 31 December 2014, "Utah intends to seize control of 31.2 million acres of land now under the control of the federal government." The total land involved is more than half of the total of 54,300,000 acres (22,000,000 ha) of land in the state. The state does not intend to use force or limit access in an attempt to control the lands, and instead will use a "four-step plan that the governor laid out": a program of education, negotiation, legislation, and litigation.^[11]

The State of Utah has pointed out that "The federal government controls more than 50 percent of the land west of Kansas — in Utah’s case, it’s 64.5 percent, a situation that has increasingly resulted in tensions across the Rocky Mountain West.^[11] Though based on Section 3, paragraph 3 of the Utah State Enabling Act , the state clearly released all claim to federal lands within its boundary - "That the people inhabiting said proposed State do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries thereof; and to all lands lying within said limits owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribes; and that until the title thereto shall have been extinguished by the United States, the same shall be and remain subject to the disposition of the United States, and said Indian lands shall remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the Congress of the United States"

References

External links

• Official page at the Utah State Legislature
• Campaign site
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Ken Ivory at Ballotpedia
• Ken Ivory at the National Institute on Money in State Politics