Opinion ID: 2582501
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The July 21, 1999 superior court order granting partial summary judgment

Text: The Andrade class moved for summary judgment in March 1999, seeking to have AS 43.23.005(a)(5) declared unconstitutional and its enforcement enjoined. The class also sought retroactive relief for national origin discrimination under the Alaska Human Rights Act. [3] The state filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, again arguing that the lawsuit was functionally an administrative appeal, and that the case should be dismissed because the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust their administrative remedies. On July 21, 1999, Superior Court Judge Eric T. Sanders granted partial summary judgment to the Andrade class. The relevant superior court rulings are described briefly.
First, the superior court concluded that under the Supremacy Clause, a state cannot determine which legal aliens have the requisite intent to remain in the United States in a manner that conflicts with federal authority in this area. The court found that AS 43.23.005(a)(5) excludes certain legal aliens from PFD eligibility on the basis that their immigration status is inconsistent with having the requisite intent to remain an Alaska resident indefinitely. The superior court then concluded that the statute conflicted with the Supremacy Clause and enjoined the state from enforcing the statute as well as any regulations that prevent legal aliens from being eligible for a PFD, unless the federal government has precluded that category of aliens from forming the intent to remain in the United States.
Next, the superior court ruled that the statute violated the Equal Protection Clauses of both the United States and the Alaska Constitutions. The court noted that alienage is a suspect class that triggers strict scrutiny under the federal constitution and heightened scrutiny under Alaska law. Because the state did not articulate a compelling interest, the court concluded that the statute violated both the United States and Alaska Constitutions.
The court concluded that the PFD eligibility statute, AS 43.23.005(a)(5), did not facially discriminate on the basis of national origin, but rather on the basis of citizenship. Because the court found that the statute does not discriminate against a category protected in AS 18.80.255, the court concluded that the plaintiffs are not entitled to either damages or back dividends. [4]