HEFFRON, SECRETARY AND MANAGER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY BOARD OF MANAGERS, ET AL. v. INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC., ET AL., 452 U.S. 640

Summary

The State's agricultural society operated a state fair and enacted Rule 6.05, which restricted the sale or distribution of any merchandise without a license from the society. The State argued that the rule was a permissible restriction on the place and manner to confine the religious organization's distribution, sale, and solicitation activities to a fixed location. The Court held that the rule was not unconstitutional. The rule was not applied in an arbitrary way and was applied equally to all organizations. The State's interest in confining distribution, selling, and fund solicitation activities to fixed locations was sufficient to satisfy the requirement that a place or manner restriction must serve a substantial state interest. The rule did not exclude the religious organization from the fairgrounds nor did it deny the organization the right to conduct any desired activity at some point within the forum.