Court Opinion

ID: 9674259
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:25:39.285058+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:26.411035
License: Public Domain

CHAPMAN, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I believe that the majority’s interpretation of the limitations imposed by article 8309h is too narrow. The majority has ignored section 312.006 of the Government Code, which does not require strict construction of the Revised Civil Stat*823utes, but calls for liberal construction to “achieve their purpose and to promote justice.” Tex.Gov’t Code Ann. § 312.006 (Vernon 1988). I agree with Classen’s contention that article 8307c is enforceable against IHS.
Political subdivisions are subject to article 8307c, provided that the Texas Tort Claims Act has authorized a wrongful discharge claim. See Tex.Rev.Civ.StatAnn. art. 8307c (Vernon Pamph.1993); Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat. Ann. art. 8309h, § 3(e) (Vernon Pamph.1993). The majority’s interpretation of the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Texas Tort Claims Act seems to preclude protection for an employee of a political subdivision under the Workers’ Compensation Act. See Tex. Civ.Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 101.021 (Vernon 1986). There would be few, if any, situations where an employee would be afforded protection under the Workers’ Compensation Act if the prerequisite to benefit from the act would be either property damage, personal injury, or death as set forth in Section 101.-021 of the Texas Tort Claims Act.
I agree with the Texarkana court of appeals’ resolution of the conflict between the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Texas Tort Claims Act in Barfield v. City of La Porte, 849 S.W.2d 842 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 1993, n.w.h.). In Barfield, the court stated that the purpose of the workers’ compensation laws is to protect against discrimination of workers who file claims against their employers. The Legislature enacted article 8309h in order to apply workers’ compensation laws to the State and its political subdivisions. The article’s purpose would be defeated if the Texas Tort Claims Act were read to completely eliminate any workers’ compensation relief to employees in these situations. 849 S.W.2d at 846. Following a more liberal construction of articles 8307c and 8309h, along with the Texas Tort Claims Act, I would reverse the trial court’s summary judgment and remand the cause for trial on the merits.