National League of Cities v. Usery
United States Supreme Court
426 U.S. 833 (1976)
Relevant factsFree
The National League of Cities and other state and local government associations (plaintiffs) sued Secretary of Labor Usery (defendant) to challenge 1974 amendments extending FLSA minimum wage and overtime requirements to state government employees, arguing this intruded on states' authority over their own essential governmental functions; the district court dismissed the suit for failure to state a claim, and the League appealed to the Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether Congress may regulate state government employers through the Fair Labor Standards Act as an exercise of its Commerce Clause power.