Federal Appeals Court Hears Arguments in Birmingham Minimum Wage Case
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday in Birmingham’s long-running attempt to raise the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Alabama is one of five states, all in the Southeastern U.S., that has not adopted a state minimum wage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Several years ago, the Birmingham City Council approved a city minimum of $10.10 an hour. Before it could be implemented state lawmakers blocked the increase by passing a law that requires all Alabama cities to have the same minimum wage, regardless of size or cost of living. Some state lawmakers argue a higher minimum wage for Birmingham would hurt the state’s overall economy.
The legislature was predominately white and the Birmingham City Council was majority black. Last summer, a three-judge panel said in its ruling that the “plaintiffs have stated a plausible claim that the Minimum Wage Act had the purpose and effect of depriving Birmingham’s black citizens equal economic opportunities on the basis of race.”
The case being argued this week in front the 12-judge 11th Circuit panel is reportedly the first in the country to challenge so-called preemption laws as being racially discriminatory. State Attorney General Steve Marshall, who is named in the lawsuit, says allegations about a state’s history and the race of its legislators are not enough to call into question the state’s motives when it passes standard economic legislation.
Antoin Adams, one of the plaintiffs, says minimum wage workers like him can barely get by on $7.25 an hour in Birmingham. Adams took a fast food job after high school instead of going to college.
“I’m still scraping by,” Adams says. “I don’t always know where I’m going to stay at night, let alone how I would even pay for college or rent.”
Johnathan Austin was president of the Birmingham City Council when it approved the wage increase. He also recently completed law school.
“Whatever the outcome will ultimately be, I certainly hope that the mayor and the current council will fight for the right of the citizens of Birmingham to earn a livable wage,” Austin says. He notes that some Birmingham employers have increased their minimum pay in recent years, a move he says shows support from the business community.
On Tuesday, judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals questioned whether the lawsuit was properly filed against Alabama’s attorney general. The case would be thrown out if the judges determine the plaintiffs sued the wrong party.
Photo by Fibonacci Blue
DHS ends Temporary Protected Status for thousands from Nicaragua and Honduras
Some 76,000 people from Nicaragua and Honduras were covered by TPS, which provides protection from deportation and grants work permits to people from certain nations affected by war or natural disasters.
BRICS nations push back as Trump warns of tariffs
Leaders of the BRICS group of emerging economies meeting for their annual summit had hoped to downplay any differences with the U.S. But even a toned down group proclamation drew the ire of President Trump.
DOJ says no evidence Jeffrey Epstein had a ‘client list’ or blackmailed associates
The two-page memo outlines the "exhaustive review" the department conducted of the Epstein files in its possession, and also reiterates that Epstein died by suicide, contrary to some conspiracy theories.
Floods are getting more dangerous around the country, not just in Texas
The deadly floods in Central Texas were caused by extremely heavy rain. Climate change is causing even more rain to fall during the heaviest storms.
Near old Montana mine, special clinic for asbestos-related illness fights to survive
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, closed in May after a court judgment. The clinic's federal funding is also threatened. Patients with scarred lungs worry about what's next.
4 things to know about the deadly Texas floods and ongoing search efforts
Search efforts continue for the dozens of people still missing after Friday's floods, as questions swirl over what went wrong. Here's what we know so far.