Ken Ivory

Kenneth Robert Ivory (born January 12, 1963) is an American politician and a former Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 47 since January 1, 2011. He has made a living as a lobbyist promoting American Lands Council and now Convention of States. On August 20, 2019, Ivory resigned from the Utah State Legislature to take a position with the Utah-based corporation Geomancer.

Early life and career

Ivory earned his BA in Japanese from Brigham Young University and his JD from California Western School of Law. Ivory lives in West Jordan, Utah and serves as the President of Ivory Law. Ivory is currently employed by the American Lands Council, and serves as president of the non-profit.

Political career

• 2014 Ivory was unopposed for the 2014 Republican Convention and won the November 4, 2014 General election with 4,634 votes (65.8%) against Democratic nominee Alena M. Balmforth.
• 2012 Ivory was unopposed for the June 26, 2012 Republican Primary and won the three-way November 6, 2012 General election with 7,354 votes (62.5%) against Democratic nominee Joseph Huey and Libertarian candidate Chase Lantis.
• 2010 Ivory challenged District 47 incumbent Republican Representative Steven Mascaro and was chosen by the Republican convention for the November 2, 2010 General election; Ivory won with 4,384 votes (61%) against Democratic nominee John Rendell, who had run for a Utah State Senate seat in 2008.

During the 2016 legislative session, Ivory served on the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Public Utilities (which he was the chair), the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee. During the interim, Ivory serves on the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee, and the Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee. He is also a member of the Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands, Commission on Federalism and the Federal Funds Commission.

Legislation sponsored

2016

Ivory also floor sponsored SB0068 Property Tax Amendments, SB0160 Federal Funds Budget Reserve Account, SJR002 Joint Resolution Calling for the Repeal of the 17th Amendment, and SJR003 Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution- Property Tax Exemptions.

Transfer of Public Lands Act

Representative Ivory is a strong supporter of states' rights and has frequently advocated for Utah to gain control of federal lands. In 2012, Ivory sponsored HB 148, The Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act, which asserted that the federal government must grant federal land to the state of Utah. Though the bill was signed into law in 2012, federal lands have remained in control of the US Department of the Interior.

The State of Utah has pointed out that "The federal government controls more than 50 percent of the land west of Kansas — in Utah’s case, it’s 64.5 percent.

Section 3, paragraph 3 of the Utah State Enabling Act [2], states that Utah clearly released all claim to federal lands within its boundary when it accepted statehood, – "The people inhabiting said proposed State do agree and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries thereof; and to all lands lying within said limits owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribes; and that until the title thereto shall have been extinguished by the United States, the same shall be and remain subject to the disposition of the United States, and said Indian lands shall remain under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the Congress of the United States"

Since the federal lands have not been relinquished to Utah, in December 2015 the state legislature has voted to pursue a lawsuit against the federal government.