Claiming that the federal government has long overstepped its bounds and fearing the worst is yet to come, a handful of Utah lawmakers is leading the charge to reclaim states' rights.

The Patrick Henry Caucus of the Utah Legislature will be launched later this week to promote legislation -- and legal challenges -- to rein in an "overwhelmingly aggressive federal government," said Rep. Ken Sumsion, R-American Fork.

Henry, a Founding Father, was a noted radical who initially opposed the Constitution over fears that it made the federal government too strong. The main force behind the Bill of Rights, he uttered the famous "Give me liberty or give me death!"

While Sumsion and others aren't looking to die over the issue, they do want control over issues they feel belong to the states.

"Let us govern ourselves and let us fight amongst our families, so to speak," he said. "We're just simply saying, enough is enough. It's time to push back."

Multiple state legislatures have passed resolutions affirming the 10th Amendment decree that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states. Texas Gov. Rick Perry caused a stir in April when he said that many see secession as a solution to overbearing government.

"There's a lot of different scenarios," Perry told the Associated Press. "We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot."

Utah has had its own very public tangles with the federal government. Orem Sen. Margaret Dayton led the charge against No Child Left Behind, a sweeping education initiative from then President George W. Bush. States eventually sued the government, which eventually softened portions of the act and has yet to renew it.

More recently, state lawmakers complained about strings attached to so-called stimulus money, though in most cases that didn't stop them from taking it in the face of economic recession.

"I don't have a real good answer to that other than to say I think things are coming to a head now," said Holly Richardson, a prominent political activist and blogger who is helping to promote the new caucus.

Legislation from the caucus could include bills similar to a gun law passed in Montana that says guns made and purchased in that state don't fall under federal restrictions, she said.

"They see the wave of the future and the wave of the future is a whole lot of discontent and a whole lot of active people," she said.

The idea got some national traction on Friday when Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, went on Fox News's Glenn Beck show. Beck, a popular personality in Utah, will also be the emcee of the Stadium of Fire.

"You will not believe the change that this will make in America, and the odds of it being successful. It will blow your mind," Beck said on the show.

On the Web: • www.thepatrickhenry caucus.com