7 Comments

WTF, Wyoming?

Thank you for the perspectives on the LA fires, especially the Malibu history. We face sorting through the ashes of my husband's boyhood home (once he's allowed into the burn zone to see if anything can be salvaged)—his parents' "forever home"—and scrambling to find housing for my now-homeless in-laws in their 80s. The only finger-pointing I'm doing is at the reports of dumbshits who may have started a NYE fire in the hills with fireworks, which possibly reignited and caused the blaze last week, according to WaPo reporting. I grieve for all the neighbors and communities down there and also the pets lost and wild animals displaced and suffering.

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I hit like altho that really isnt the feeling I get from the destruction of LA. The whole issue of dumbshits covers a huge amount of territory these days.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your in-law's home. I'm also in my 80s and thinking about how I'd deal with that kind of loss at this time of life. It truly sucks!

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Jonathan,

While very pleased with their decision, to my knowledge, this decision was just whether SCOTUS would let Utah jump right to the Supreme Court for a quick answer without going through the lower courts and appeals process first.

I'm not sure it changes anything for the future court battle except for the path and timeline of the case involving the 18.5 million acres of America's public lands.

I'm not convinced it "effectively ends Utah’s legal bid." I hope that is true, but for now, it's just egg on their face. But the lunacy of the "Utah Taliban" in the super-majority legislature, especially one that just got scorned, knows no bounds.

All the best to you and the family, Jonathan. I thoroughly enjoy your writing.

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Thank you, Stranger. Yes, great point. SCOTUS simply refused to hear the case, which isn't the same as hearing it and rejecting it. So yeah, I guess while it ended this particular avenue -- going straight to the Supreme Court -- they could choose to go to lower courts (though that hasn't gone so well for them with the Bears Ears/GSENM shrinkage lawsuits). A bit of wishful thinking on my part, I suppose. Thanks! And Happy New Year.

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This statement from the "Utah Taliban" was in FOX13's Ben Winslow's report. He's one of the better reporters on the hill.

The state of Utah can still seek to pursue the litigation in a lower court.

“While we were hopeful that our request would expedite the process, we are disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up this case. The Court’s order does not say anything about the merits of Utah’s important constitutional arguments or prevent Utah from filing its suit in federal district court," Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, Senate President J. Stuart Adams and Attorney General Derek Brown said in a joint statement.

"Utah remains able and willing to challenge any BLM land management decisions that harm Utah. We are also heartened to know the incoming Administration shares our commitments to the principle of 'multiple use' for these federal lands and is committed to working with us to improve land management. We will continue to fight to keep public lands in public hands because it is our stewardship, heritage and home."

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Maggie, you took the words right out of my mouth I'm going to try to get the Contrarian ( I signed up the first day!) readers and editors acquainted with Jonathan's fine writing

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