Myers v. Alaska Housing Finance Corp.

OPINION

CARPENETI, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

Alaska Constitution article IX, section 7 prohibits the legislature from dedicating future revenues directly to any special purpose. But can the legislature sell the state's right to a future revenue stream that is based on a settlement of a lawsuit and then immediately appropriate the proceeds? We conclude that selling the right to receive future revenue from the tobaceo lawsuit settlement involved in the present case is constitutional for three reasons: (1) the legislative appropriation power includes the power to sell state assets, (2) lawsuit…