S-0691.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8005

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State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Senators Hargrove, Owen and Snyder

Read first time 01/16/95.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Relating to federally held property in those states admitted to the Union since 1846.

    TO THE HONORABLE BILL CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The founding fathers of this nation recognized that land is power and that a centralized federal government with a substantial land base would eventually overwhelm the states and pose a threat to the freedom of the individual; and

    WHEREAS, The original 13 colonies and the next 15 states admitted to the Union were granted fee title to all and within their borders; and

    WHEREAS, The states admitted to the Union since 1846 were denied the same rights of land ownership granted the states admitted earlier; and

    WHEREAS, Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States makes no provision for land ownership by the federal government, other than by purchase from the states of land ". . .for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings"; and

    WHEREAS, Acting contrary to the provisions of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States, the federal government withheld property from the states admitted since 1846, making them land poor and unable to determine their own land use and development policies; and

    WHEREAS, This action has made those states admitted since 1846 unequal to other states and subject to unwarranted federal control; and

    WHEREAS, Restoration of property to which they are historically and constitutionally entitled would empower the land-poor states to determine their own land use policies;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the 104th Congress of the United States right the wrong and transfer to the states, by fee title, all federally controlled property currently held within the states admitted to the Union since 1846.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That the Congress is urged to then purchase from the newly empowered states land needed to meet the provision of Article I, section 8, United States Constitution.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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