Mr. Schweitzer is a Democrat in a state where the Republican-controlled Legislature is considering, among a raft of antifederal proposals, a declaration that would require the F.B.I. to get the local sheriff’s permission before making any arrests. The governor, who is from a family of ranchers, said he had just registered a cattle brand that spelled out the word “veto.”

“I’m going to have it red hot and ready to go,” he said.

The movement’s supporters say that they are acting in the name of democracy and freedom, and that no fight could be more important. And they hope that if enough legislatures take action, their collective voice will be heard in Washington.

“I’m not sure what will happen, but obviously it is our intent to get some relief,” said State Senator Brandon D. Smith of Kentucky, who is chairman of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee and sponsor of the resolution declaring sanctuary from the E.P.A.

Mr. Smith said the thrust of his argument is not that agencies like the E.P.A. have no authority, but rather that they have exceeded the authority they were granted by Congress.

“It sends a very clear message that there has been a lot of overreaching,” he said of his bill, adding with the confidence of an experienced head counter that he expected only two “no” votes in the Senate.

Some of the measures have spread after being tried out last year on a small scale.

Utah’s Legislature  often a pioneer in challenging federal laws  passed a bill in 2010 that authorized the state to use eminent domain protections to seize federal lands. It then appropriated $3 million for what state officials acknowledged would be an uphill legal battle to defend their stance.

This year, six more states  Arizona, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington  have taken up the argument, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit group that supports limited government and free markets.