Wyoming

AMENDMENT LANGUAGE

State Constitutional Provisions

Wyo. Const. art. I, § 19: "Appropriations for sectarian or religious societies or institutions prohibited. No money of the state shall ever be given or appropriated to any sectarian or religious society or institution."

Wyo. Const. art. VII, § 8: "Provision shall be made by general law for the equitable allocation of such income among all school districts in the state. But no appropriation shall be made from said fund to any district for the year in which a school has not been maintained for at least three (3) months; nor shall any portion of any public school fund ever be used to support or assist any private school, or any school, academy, seminary, college or other institution of learning controlled by any church or sectarian organization or religious denomination whatsoever."

Wyo. Const. art. VII, § 12 Sectarianism prohibited: “No sectarian instruction, qualifications or tests shall be imparted, exacted, applied or in any manner tolerated in the schools of any grade or character controlled by the state, nor shall attendance be required at any religious service therein, nor shall any sectarian tenets or doctrines be taught or favored in any public school or institution that may be established under this constitution.”

RELEVANT CASES

Federal Courts

· Williams v. Eaton, 333 F. Supp. 107 (D. Wyo. 1971) (Tax-supported university officials could not permit suspended football players to protest alleged racially discriminatory policies of church-owned and operated opposing university, under guise of First Amendment rights of freedom of speech to undertake a protest demonstration against claimed religious beliefs of opposing university during intercollegiate football game upon playing field which was a tax-supported facility of state).

SECONDARY MATERIALS

State Attorney General Opinions

1982 Op. Atty Gen. Wyo. 3. (Baccalaureate services held in a church are constitutional, so long as attendance by students is not mandated.)

REPEAL EFFORTS

See the Heritage Foundation website for a list of state contacts.