Alaska

AMENDMENT LANGUAGE

State Constitutional Provision

Alaska Const. art. VII, § 1: "The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the State, and may provide for other public educational institutions. Schools and institutions so established shall be free from sectarian control. No money shall be paid from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution."

RELEVANT CASES

State Courts

Sheldon Jackson College v. State, 599 P.2d 127 (Alaska 1979) (concluding state's tuition grant program that awarded students difference between tuition charged by private college and public college violated state constitutional prohibition of using public funds for direct benefit of religious or other private educational institution).

Matthews v. Quinton, 362 P.2d 932 (Alaska 1961) (a statute authorizing transportation of non-public school pupils on public school buses violated Alaska's Constitutional provision prohibiting expenditure of public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution).

REPEAL EFFORTS

See the Heritage Foundation website for list of state contacts.