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>20 million dollars total=
3 million plus
2 million plus
millions plus
14 millions
Examples of "problem bills" promote a land grab from the federal government. This is a pet project of the Utah legislature and Senator Lee. 14 million has been set aside of spent defending this horrifying plan
Other efforts include a flag bill, an anti-health and anti-science- anti-flouride bill. another was an antivoter, antidemocratic roll back on vote by mail.
Cartoon about the Utah legislature by Pat Bagley
AI compiled this information:
Recent public records, state budgets, and legislative audits indicate that Utah has spent and allocated millions of taxpayer dollars to defend laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, free and fair voting districts, voter initiatives, and land grabs.
Because these legal battles are often funded through opaque "Constitutional Defense" accounts or general Attorney General budgets, a single "grand total" is rarely published. However, identified appropriations and specific lawsuit costs allow for the following breakdown:
The state is currently engaged in high-profile litigation to defend its congressional maps (accused of being gerrymandered) and the legislative repeal of Proposition 4 (the independent redistricting initiative passed by voters).1
Outside Counsel: The legislature hired the high-powered conservative law firm Consovoy McCarthy to defend the redistricting maps. The lead attorney, former Utah Solicitor General Tyler Green, charges premium rates.
Constitutional Defense Accounts: In 2024, the legislature appropriated roughly $6.7 million to the "Federal Overreach Restricted Account."2 While some of this funds public lands litigation, at least $3.7 million was designated for "contract attorneys," a pot of money used to pay outside firms for these types of "sovereignty" lawsuits.3
Amendment D: In 2024, the state spent undisclosed amounts on an emergency special session and rushed legal defense for Amendment D, which sought to retroactively grant the legislature power to repeal voter initiatives.4 The Utah Supreme Court voided this amendment, wasting the legislative and legal resources spent on it.5
Utah has been defending multiple abortion bans, including an 18-week ban (HB 136) and a total "trigger ban" (SB 174).
Estimated Costs: When the 18-week ban was passed in 2019, the Utah Attorney General's office explicitly estimated that defending it would cost taxpayers $2 million or more.
Ongoing Litigation: The state is currently fighting to lift injunctions on its "trigger ban" that would outlaw nearly all abortions. This litigation has dragged on for years, utilizing significant hours from the Attorney General’s staff and potential outside counsel.
Utah has passed several laws targeting transgender individuals, including a ban on transgender girls in female sports (HB 11) and a "bathroom ban" (HB 257).6
Transgender Sports Ban (HB 11): When Governor Spencer Cox initially vetoed this bill in 2022, he warned the legislature that it would likely result in "millions of dollars in legal fees" and potentially bankrupt the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA).7 The legislature overrode his veto, and the state is now funding the legal defense of this ban.
Bathroom Ban (HB 257): The 2024 "bathroom bill" includes indemnification clauses, meaning the state has committed to paying the legal bills for any school district or government entity sued over enforcement.8
While distinct from social issues, these lawsuits often draw from the same ideological "Constitutional Defense" funds.
"Land Grab" Lawsuit: The state has appropriated approximately $14 million (with some estimates up to $20 million total) to sue the federal government over control of unappropriated public lands. The state has already paid the law firm Clement & Murphy over $500,000 just for initial filings.9
Utah lawmakers fund these defenses primarily through:
The Constitutional Defense Restricted Account (CDRA): A dedicated fund that has grown from a $2 million cap to an uncapped war chest, replenished by mineral lease revenues and direct appropriations.
The Federal Overreach Restricted Account: A newer fund used to pay expensive outside law firms (like Consovoy McCarthy and Clement & Murphy) rather than relying solely on salaried state attorneys.