This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah legislators usually are not shy about challenging the federal government. But the House killed a bill Tuesday that may have picked a legal battle with federal officials over labor relations with federal officials.
They voted down HB116 by a 39-33 margin. Its sponsor, Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove, said it sought to overturn within Utah a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board that makes some businesses responsible for labor violations by contractors or franchisees.
Greene said the decision violates long-standing federal and state law that limits such responsibility to businesses with direct control over employees, such as being the one that sets their wages and hours. He said three states have passed similar bills.
However, numerous House members raised concerns that passing the bill could land Utah in a court case, or perhaps threaten federal funding for state agencies that might not comply.
Of course, that comes as legislators are considering spending $14 million to file a lawsuit seeking state control over most federal public lands in Utah — with many GOP leaders urging that move.
— Lee Davidson