From POLITICO’s Morning Energy Report, word about a case involving wages paid to those who work on offshore oil and gas rigs.
“The Supreme Court on Friday said it will decide whether workers on offshore drilling rigs are subject to state wage laws. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last year ruled that under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, workers on drilling platforms are subject to the minimum wage and overtime laws of adjacent states — in this case, California. However, the 5th Circuit, which deals with many Gulf of Mexico-based legal issues, previously ruled that state laws should only apply on the outer continental shelf if there is a gap in federal law.
The case, expected to be heard and decided later this year, is Parker Drilling Management Services v. Newton, 18-389.”