Attorney General Tim Griffin has expressed his satisfaction following a decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to vacate a rule from the Biden-Harris administration concerning overtime pay. The court's ruling applies nationwide and impacts regulations on overtime pay for exempt employees.
Griffin stated, "I am grateful for today’s ruling that vacated yet another unlawful Biden-Harris administration pre-election giveaway and am proud to have led a 14-state amicus brief supporting the State of Texas in this lawsuit." He added that the now-defunct rule would have increased costs significantly, affecting state and local government budgets, employers, and jobs across the country.
The court found that the United States Department of Labor had overstepped its authority under the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to Griffin, "The court correctly found that the United States Department of Labor unlawfully exceeded its authority under the Fair Labor Standards Act and that it should ‘nullify and revoke’ illegal actions by federal agencies."
Griffin commended his Solicitor General’s Office for their efforts in securing a coalition of states on their amicus brief. He also thanked Senior Assistant Solicitor General Asher Steinberg for his role in writing the brief cited in the court order.
The contested rule would have mandated overtime pay for salaried professional, administrative, and executive employees who were already highly paid and previously exempt from such requirements. Federal law exempts workers with “executive, administrative, and professional” duties from receiving overtime pay.
Griffin filed his amicus brief in August with support from attorneys general from Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia.