Arizona joins coalition asking Supreme Court to protect veterans rights
Apr 17, 2023, 4:35 AM
PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined a bipartisan coalition involving 31 states and the District of Columbia calling on the Supreme Court to protect veterans rights.
The coalition also asks the nation’s highest court to consider hearing the case of James Rudisill in Rudisill v. McDonough.
The states argue the Department of Veterans Affairs denied Rudisill his Montgomery GI Bill Benefits, despite him qualifying for the benefit which includes 48 months of educational benefits following multiple requisite periods of service, according to a press release.
Rudisill used his post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits following his first tour, returned to the U.S. Army and attempted to enter another school by using his GI Bill Benefits after his third tour.
The VA’s decision to deny Rudisill his benefits was overturned by multiple courts before it was upheld by the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, allegedly leading to a loss of GI Benefits for thousands of veterans.
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“Veterans sacrifice so much for our country, and we must ensure they receive the benefits they are entitled to. Not just because they have earned them, but because they are an investment in their future and the future of our country,” Mayes said in the release.
“I am proud to fight for our nations’ veterans alongside my fellow attorneys general, and I urge the United States Supreme Court to hear this important case.”
Arizona joined attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
