SALT LAKE CITY -- The Legislature has approved the use of eminent domain to reclaim certain resource-rich parcels of federal land in Utah.
Lawmakers passed House Bill 143 48-17 on Wednesday, but Gov. Gary Herbert hasn't yet said whether he'll sign the proposal into law.
The goal is to spark a U.S. Supreme Court battle that legislators' own attorneys acknowledge has little chance of success.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and other Republicans say it's still worth fighting because the state could reap millions of dollars for schools each year if it wins.
More than 60 percent of Utah is owned by the U.S. government.
Bill sponsor Rep. Chris Herrod, a Provo Republican, has said that federal ownership hinders the state's ability to generate tax revenue and adequately fund public schools.
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