Tag: statehood

14-39 The 2024 Election – Two Elements of What’s at Stake

14-39 The 2024 Election – Two Elements of What’s at Stake

Show 14-39 Summary: It’s not just the candidates running. It’s what’s at stake in this election. And we look at just two elements with huge implications. Control over federal agencies, whether those will expand or be reined in and deregulated. And all the federal land that might be at stake thanks to a potential Supreme Court ruling — if they take it up and if the next administration acts on it.

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Original Air Dates: September 28, 2024, 2024 | Guests: Kimberley Hermann and Myron Ebell 

This Week – What’s at Stake

It’s never just about the candidates running. It’s what’s at stake after the election. And we look at just two elements with huge implications of those potential futures. While the economy gets most of the attention, it’s much more than that.

First, we look at control over federal agencies, and whether those will expand or be reined in and deregulated. Or even disbanded. The regulatory agencies are the leash on the economy. Will the economy be given more rope or even let run off leash? Or chained up?

You can guess which candidate wants what on that. But with the new Loper-Bright Supreme Court decision, that overturned a previous SCOTUS ruling, Congress could, if it has the backbone, rein in these overreaching agencies that prevent economic expansion. We talk with Kimberley Herman, the executive director of Southeastern Legal Foundation, about what the overturn of the Chevron deference could mean for the future of government.

What’s at Stake: 640 million acres of federal lands

Years ago, we followed the effort to allow states to take possession of the federal lands within their own borders that had been promised to them at the time of statehood. And all the federal land that might be at stake thanks to a potential Supreme Court ruling — if they take it up and if the next administration acts on it.

That is, after all, what happened with the states east of the Mississippi. None of those states have massive amounts of land in their borders still held by the federal government. But for states West of the Mississippi and in particular, West of the Rockies, states have tremendous amounts of land within their borders still held by the federal government. Oregon has 53.03% of its land that is not its land—it’s held by the federal government. and it’s also tremendously mismanaged by the federal government. Meaning they don’t. And that’s why Oregon has massive forest fires every year. When you don’t manage forests they become kindling factories.

Now, a new lawsuit by Utah is at the Supreme Court. All they need are four justices to vote to hear the case before the full court. This could have huge implications for states that have so much of their land held by the federal government which is doing nothing with it. Imagine the impact of land being brought into active production and use whether that’s agriculture, timber, mining, camping, hunting… Kind of activity that will spur the economy. not to mention create taxable wealth for the government. Rather than letting it sit there and rot and burn which only wastes taxpayers’ money.

We welcomed back long-time guest, Myron Ebell (although it’s been a long time since we last spoke), who is now the chairman of American Lands Council.

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