At a stop in Mesquite, Nevada, on Monday, Rand Paul argued for the federal ownership of land to be given back to the state and local level. His stance struck a pertinent chord with the people of Nevada, where 67% of the state is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
Among the crowd was Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who made headlines last year when his dispute over his cattle grazing on government-owned land with the BLM garnered national headlines.
Bundy and Paul met at the rally, but Paul’s campaign gave no comment on the meeting, according to CNN.
Bundy, however, did speak up about his brief meeting with the GOP presidential candidate: “In general, I think we’re in tune with each other, I don’t think we need to ask Washington, D.C. for this land. It’s our land,” Bundy said to the Associated Press.
At the campaign event, Paul slammed the government’s regulation of the land.
“I’d either sell or turn over all the land management to the states…I don’t think the federal government needs to be involved,” Paul told the applauding crowd.
The Kentucky senator called the federal regulation “this big huge government bully” and called for more local and state ownership.
“It is time that we stand up — in a legal fashion — but stand up and let’s say ‘enough is enough’ and let’s elect people who will get the government off our back,” Paul said.
