right of state employees

Because of the court's ruling, the federal government ought now to play a greater role in ensuring that the rights of state employees are protected.

Arizona itself is not defending the provision, which two lower Federal courts found to violate the free-speech rights of state employees.

The state legislatures in Wisconsin and Ohio are debating Republican-sponsored bills that would end the union collective bargaining rights of state employees.

To the Editor: While it is true that the Supreme Court delivered a heavy blow to the rights of state employees to challenge age discrimination, your take on the court's ruling (editorial, Jan. 12) is too broad.

The State of Arizona chose not to appeal a ruling that an English-only amendment to the State Constitution, adopted in a 1988 voter referendum, violated the First Amendment rights of state employees.

The vote was the same as in a series of rebuffs the court has dealt Congress over the past five years on issues ranging from the regulation of gun possession near schools to the right of state employees to sue for overtime and of patent-holders to sue states for patent infringement.