Supreme Court Considers ADA, States' Rights Cases
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: News out of the U.S. Supreme Court today, looks like news the Americans with Disabilities Act; also looks like interesting conflict between states' rights and federal rights. For more on that, let's go to Jeanne Meserve -- Jeanne.</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, four decisions from the court this morning. One of them, University of Alabama versus Garrett, as you said, impacting the interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Charles Bierbauer, at the court, with more.</s>CHARLES BIERBAUER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jeanne, this involves a nurse at the University of Alabama Hospital, Pat Garrett, who developed cancer and was demoted in her job as a result. She sued the state of Alabama, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled you cannot sue a state unless consents to that kind of action in a federal court under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is narrowing of the ADA, but Chief Justice Rehnquist, who wrote the five to four opinion for this court says that the evidence is that Congress did not intend to carry this matter to the states, that it focused its attention on the ADA on the private sector -- so this like a similar case last year, in by the court ruled that age discrimination is a matter in by the states cannot be sued by their employees -- Jeanne.</s>MESERVE: But, Charles, another ADA suit that's pending, that of Casey Martin, the golfer, against the PGA, is there any foreshadowing in this decision what the decision in the Martin suit might be?</s>BIERBAUER: I don't think you can read that, because this really a question of when can states by sued, when are they immune from the suit. It's a different constitutional issue. The question that involves Casey Martin, the professional golfer, is whether the laws of the ADA apply to professionals on the course as well as applying to spectators at the course. It doesn't matter.</s>MESERVE: Charles Bierbauer, at the court, thanks.