Alaska Supreme Court Allows Churches To Intervene In Tax Challenge

In Anchorage Baptist Temple v. Coonrod, (AK Sup. Ct., Aug. 31, 2007), the Alaska Supreme Court permitted three churches to intervene in a citizens’ lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of a state property tax exemption. The challenged law exempts teachers' residences owned by religious organizations. The lower courts had permitted the churches only to appear as amicus curiae. The Supreme Court reversed finding that the “churches have significant financial and potentially unrepresented constitutional interests in the litigation” and because there is at least an appearance of adversity between them and the state