The Utah House has approved a bill that would allow the state to take federally owned land through the use of eminent domain.
Lawmakers approved the legislation 57-13 on Thursday. Republican Rep. Chris Herrod, the bill's sponsor, says the federal government violated its contract with Utah when it gained statehood by not selling the lands.
Many people in Utah are still angry about then-President Bill Clinton's designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996.
Herrod hopes to use eminent domain to take lands at the monument that have large coal reserves. Herrod says development of the reserves could help fund the state's schools.
Opponents say the bill would result in a costly legal battle with little chance of success.
