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Federal Judge Strikes Down Obama-Era Overtime Pay Rule

The rule would have required employers to pay overtime to most workers earning less than $47,476 per year.

By: Briana Koeneman

Posted at 3:22 PM, Sep 01, 2017

and last updated 2017-09-01 15:22:58-04

A federal judge shot down an Obama-era rule that would have made millions of Americans eligible for overtime pay.

In his ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant said the Labor Department overstepped its authority by issuing the rule.

The rule would have required employers to pay overtime to most workers earning less than $47,476 per year. That's a big jump from the current cutoff of $23,660.

But Mazzant said that change puts too much focus on the amount of money workers make instead of their job duties.

The new overtime pay rule was originally supposed to go into effect in December of last year. But Mazzant temporarily blocked it in November while he weighed his final ruling.