State v. Weiss

OPINION

COMPTON, Justice.

The State of Alaska (“state”) appeals from a judgment of the superior court holding that the state breached its duty as trustee of federal mental health grant lands when the legislature redesignated the property as “general grant land.” For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the holding to this extent, but reverse the superior court’s conclusion that the redesig-nation legislation was valid.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 1956 the United States Congress passed the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act (AMHEA) which, insofar as it concerns this case, granted the…