Grand Canyon Times

Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-14) has filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration for seizing almost a million acres of land in the state in 2023. The land, falling in both Coconino and Mohave counties, was designated as a “national monument.”

The lawsuit is fighting the Biden Administration's interpretation of the Antiquities Act, claiming “the only thing preventing the Biden Administration from declaring all federal land a national monument is its discretion.” Once land is designated as a national monument, the President can then control all use and development of the area. 

Petersen is joined by House Speaker Ben Toma in the lawsuit, as well as State Treasure Kimberly Yee, Mohave County, Colorado City, and Fredonia, areas affected by the land change. 

"This federal confiscation promises to wreak havoc on our local and state economies, jeopardize the livelihoods of our citizens, and compromise national security, all in an attempt to score cheap political points with radical environmentalists," said President Petersen in a press release. "Biden's maneuver is incredibly disingenuous, as it has nothing to do with protecting actual artifacts. Instead, it aims to halt all mining, ranching, and other local uses of federal lands that are critical to our energy independence from adversary foreign nations, our food supply, and the strength of our economy." 

"Needless to say, I'm incredibly disappointed our Attorney General has once again failed to carry out the duties of her office in defending our state against this reckless federal overreach and is instead showing her complicity with Biden's extremist agenda. Nonetheless, we look forward to prevailing in court and for the president's abuse of power to be reined in.”