Ballas v. Anchorage

In 2011, Anchorage passed a controversial ordinance forbidding residents from asking for donations or protesting by sitting or laying on the city’s public sidewalks, countering centuries of American tradition. A coalition of eight plaintiffs—a performance artist, political activists, a peace organization and its members, and two labor unions—asked the ACLU of Alaska to represent them and challenge these unconstitutional prohibitions. The ACLU of Alaska filed suit in January 2013.

 

Status: In December 2014, Superior Court Judge John Suddock ruled that the ban on panhandling violated Alaska's free speech clause.