Utah judge sides with the Inland Port Authority after “restructure”
In the fall of 2024, UPHE joined a lawsuit which challenged the legality of the Utah Inland Port Authority Board.
Seemingly in response to our lawsuit, earlier this year the Utah legislature passed a bill which restructured the port. The Utah Inland Port Authority after this bill passed, reapproved everything they had done previously, including reinstating the exact same board member, just appointed by a different office.
Our lawsuit against the Utah Inland Port Authority was dismissed by the judge, despite her ruling partially in our favor. We strongly disagree with the judge and are considered all our options, including an appeal. With the damage that UIPA’s network of economic development projects are doing to the state’s natural resources, to Great Salt Lake, to our air quality, public health, and water resources, all enabled by tax payer subsidies, it’s hard to imagine a worse way to spur economic growth in Utah.
The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) clearly functions as a state agency. They analyze, approve, and direct economic projects at a granular level beyond what the legislature can do given the limitation of their constitutional authority. Yet they are still effectively controlled by the legislature despite the law they passed in the last session in response to our lawsuit. This is a violation of the state constitution’s separation of powers, and it deserves to be litigated, not dismissed. We’ll continue fighting UIPA’s massive corporate subsidies, exploitation of the state’s natural resources, and environmentally destructive projects on behalf of all Utah’s citizens.
If you’d like to contribute to our costs and other important work, please click here. The lawsuit was an important tool in slowing down the process, and forcing some action from the state.
More background on the Utah Inland Port:
