News & Updates

Official Senate Announcement

By Arturo Morales, on Jan 24, 2012

Rep. Herrod willing to take stand for Utah

By Arturo Morales, on Feb 16, 2012

Herrod upset that his immigration bill isn't moving forward

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Legislature's lack of desire to move on immigration issues has Provo Republican Rep. Chris Herrod upset.


While the Legislature is looking at various ways to fund autism treatment, ways to restructure the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and altering taxes on cable TV, Herrod feels the state's lawmakers are missing the opportunity to take on an issue that he says has real importance.

"I'm pretty fed up with this body," Herrod said. "I have never been so disappointed in the Legislature."

Herrod introduced his immigration bill almost three weeks ago, but the Legislature has been slow to move on any immigration-related issues. House members last week voted down a request by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, to open a bill file dealing with immigration and the state's e-verify system; traditionally, bill file requests have always been approved by the lawmaker's respective body. (Another lawmaker later allowed Sandstrom to take over one of his unwritten but numbered bills, so that measure isn't dead.)

Chris Herrod leads the debate on immigration

By Arturo Morales, on Jan 26, 2012

Bill would gut Utah’s guest-worker law

BY DAVID MONTERO

The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Jan 25 2012 07:32PM
Updated Jan 25, 2012 11:21PM

The first salvo fired at Utah’s controversial guest-worker immigration law will come from the desk of Rep. Chis Herrod on Thursday: a 53-page bill that would gut key provisions of the existing law and require congressional permission before letting it go into effect.

Backed by members of tea party groups and the movement that’s bent on repealing and replacing HB116 since Gov. Gary Herbert signed it in March, the proposed Illegal Alien Transition Pilot Program would not allow Utah to issue work visas and would only create a pathway to legal status for those who overstayed visas and never previously worked in the state.

"This is a compromise bill," said Herrod, R-Provo, who is also a candidate for U.S. Senate. "It is a compassionate bill."

Herrod’s proposal, which will be awaiting a fiscal note and a committee assignment, would only affect — by his estimate — 30,000 undocumented immigrants in the state because of its strict requirements on who would qualify.

Chris Herrod taking another stab at immigration

By Arturo Morales, on Jan 24, 2012

 

SALT LAKE CITY -- Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, has a new proposal to fix Utah's illegal immigration problem.

Standing as one of the strong opponents to House Bill 116, the comprehensive immigration law that was passed in the 2011 session, Herrod has been working for the last 12 months to find an alternative that sits better with him.

The bill would dramatically alter H.B. 116, changing the guest worker program created by the law that goes into effect on July 1, 2013 - regardless of approval from the federal government - to a pilot program that would not go into effect until the President of the United States signs a law that grants Utah the authority to start such a program.

The proposed bill also narrows the scope of who would be allowed to participate in the pilot program for undocumented workers. Only families with children of a certain age, depending on where the child was born, would be allowed to participate.

The pilot program is also designed to benefit those who have an expired visa and wish to stay in the country. Those who have come into the country illegally could participate in the pilot program for one year, but would have to leave the United States at the end of the year.

The bill also brings back some of the tough enforcement provisions that some in the Legislature sought in the 2011 session. It would allow local law enforcement officials to detain those they suspect of being in the country illegally and would withhold state money from law enforcement agencies that choose to not comply with enforcing immigration laws.

Where the bill goes from here appears to be unknown at this time. Some lawmakers are ready to take action on the immigration issues, while others are looking to stay away from the issue in this session.

Chris Herrod fight for Utah Land Rights.

By Arturo Morales, on Jan 18, 2012

Utah uses eminent domain to seize land of ... Uncle Sam

A new eminent domain law in Utah authorizes seizure of some of the federal government's vast land holdings. It's designed to pick a fight with Uncle Sam.

By Michael B. Farrell, / Staff writer / April 30, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY

Utah is itching for a land fight. A battle with Washington over territorial rights and state sovereignty. It wants to spark a revolt in which Western states attempt to wrest control of federal lands within their borders. 

The Beehive State might just get its way, too. In March, Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed a controversial law authorizing the use of eminent domain to capture some of the millions of acres that the federal government owns here. The law was tailor-made to provoke a lawsuit, possibly reaching the US Supreme Court, and to inspire other Western states to enact similar legislation.

While it's unusual for eminent domain to involve the taking of federal lands, this law is a byproduct of many Utahns' frustrations: The US government owns more than 60 percent of the state, thus dictating whether land has been set aside for preservation or can be accessed for mineral deposits.