Justices to Review Federal Age Law’s Coverage of State Workers

Are state political subdivisions with less than 20 employees—like small, private-sector employers—excluded from coverage under federal age bias law?

The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to take up the issue in a case involving older Arizona fire captains who were laid off based on alleged budget constraints.

The high court’s ultimate decision will likely affect the rights of all 50 states to set their own policies for the more than 38,000 “small, modestly funded” subdivisions or “special districts” of state governments nationwide. These special districts provide “vital” fire protection and similar services to local communities, according to Arizona’s Mount Lemmon ...