Appeals Court to Reconsider Decision in Minimum Wage Lawsuit

An appeals court is reconsidering a decision that revived a lawsuit challenging an Alabama law barring cities from raising the minimum wage.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday withdrew a July decision that revived the racial discrimination lawsuit. The court is holding a rare rehearing before all the judges of the circuit.

The lawsuit centers on a 2016 state law that was quickly passed to block Birmingham’s plans to raise the hourly minimum wage to $10. The NAACP and other groups contended it was racially discriminatory and another example of the majority-white Legislature exerting control over majority-black cities.

A judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2017, but the appeals court reversed that decision in July.

The full court is now reconsidering that July decision.

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