Wisconsin part of suit overturning overtime rules

State attorney general happy overtime boost blocked

Wisconsin is one of the states that are lining up on the winners’ side today.

Wisconsin is one of 21 states that sued the federal government over overtime rules that would have doubled the salary over which employees were exempt from overtime, to $47,476 per year.  

Those rules were set to go into effect on December 1st.  

A federal court has issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the rules saying, in part that they are excessive and arbitrary.

Many formerly salaried workers under that amount would have been eligible for time and a half over 40 hours under the new rules.  

Advocates had argued for the change, saying it was long overdue and would help jolt the nation’s slowly growing incomes.

The overtime changes would have affected an estimated 4.2 million workers nationwide.  

In a statement released today, Wisconsin attorney general Brad Schimel says, he’s “incredibly happy the court agreed the rule should be put on hold.”