4. Helping Veterans
This next ruling could affect thousands of active and reserve service members nationally who work for state agencies. The case was brought about by Le Roy Torres, a former employee of the Texas Department of Public Safety and veteran after he was denied employment when he was seeking a comparable job to accommodate his service-related disability after no longer being able to work as a state trooper.
After filing a suit under a federal law meant to protect the reemployment rights of returning veterans, Texas responded by claiming that states are immune from lawsuits brought under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, passed under Congress’ war powers authority.
What makes this dispute more important for veterans is that it challenges the authority of Congress to provide for the national defense because individual states don’t want to be sued.
