Smith, along with other House Republicans, has initiated a series of bills intended to counteract President Joe Biden’s 30x30 initiative. Having been elected to the state House of Representatives in 2022, Smith introduced House Concurrent Memorial 2005. This legislation calls upon Congress and Biden to endorse the Reverse 30x30 initiative, which aims to return 30% of federally controlled lands to their respective states by 2030.
In a post dated February 6 on social media platform X, Smith stated: "We are pushing back against Biden and the DC Swamp land grab in Arizona. Enough is Enough." The post also contained a link to a news release detailing the efforts of House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci, Representative John Gillette, Gail Griffin, and Smith's proposed legislation aimed at reversing the 30x30 initiative established by President Biden.
The primary focus of Smith's effort is House Concurrent Memorial 2005. This legislation urges Congress and Biden to allocate 30% of each state's land currently managed by the federal government back to the western states. According to the text of this document, it asserts that decades of dysfunctional federal bureaucracy have resulted in an exceedingly poor stewardship of these resources by the federal government. It advocates for state ownership of public lands as being more efficient, thoughtful, accountable, and locally-driven. Such a shift would enhance access, environmental health, and economic productivity as per the House Concurrent Memorial document.
Smith stated in a news release on February 6: "The federal government is the largest landowner in the United States, controlling almost one-third of the entire land in the country. Over 90 percent of this land is in Western States. In Arizona alone, 42 percent of the land is controlled by the federal government. Under the equal footing doctrine of the U.S. Constitution, this land should have been given to their respective Western States upon statehood." This release announced various pieces of legislation, including Smith's own.
Smith, a lifelong resident of legislative district 29 which he was elected to represent in 2022, began his political career in 2016. He collaborated with Charlie Kirk and other conservatives to relocate Turning Point’s headquarters to the state and led the "Students for Trump" initiative. He also recruited precinct committeemen in Arizona. His platform encompasses election integrity, conserving Arizona’s water resources, upholding the Second Amendment, protecting the unborn, among other issues as per his re-election campaign website.
