California v. Usery, Secretary of Labor

Opinion summary

Etalia.ai summary of the majority opinion

The case involved a challenge by the State of California against certain provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as amended in 1974. The amendments extended minimum wage and overtime pay protections to employees of state and local governments, which California argued was an unconstitutional infringement on state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment. The Supreme Court held that Congress had exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause by applying FLSA standards to states' traditional governmental functions. This decision reinforced principles of federalism, emphasizing limits on federal power over states’ internal affairs.