21 States Sue Obama Administration on Overtime Rule

Kansas is one of 21 states joining in lawsuit filed today against the Obama administration. The suit challenges the U.S. Department of Labor’s new “Overtime Rule.”

The suit was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul

The Overtime Rule, established in response to a request by President Obama for an update of overtime regulations, is slated to go into effect on December 1. It will extend overtime eligibility to employees earning up to $913 per week and increase that threshold every three years based on wage growth over the same period. The current threshold for eligibility is $455 per week.

A release from Paxton’s office said, “The overtime rule will force many state and local governments, as well as private businesses, to substantially increase their employment costs. Some governments and private businesses may even be forced to eliminate services or lay off employees.”

The states involved in the lawsuit are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.