Even though 1 out of 6 Alaskans speak something other than English at home, a 1998 ballot initiative required Alaska and its local governments to only use English. The ACLU of Alaska and the Native American Rights Fund sued and successfully argued that this English-Only law violated Alaskans' constitutional rights to free speech and to petition the government.
Status: The Alaska Supreme Court agreed and decided that while the government may keep its official records in English, it could not refuse to communicate with the public in other languages.
