Overnight Regulation: Fight brews over minor leaguers’ salaries

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Wednesday evening here in Washington and we can’t get over that super awkward three-way handshake between President Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. 

 

THE BIG STORY

Minor League Baseball’s (MiLB) central organization is lining up behind a bill blocking its ballplayers from salary and overtime protections.

MiLB on Wednesday expressed support for the Save America’s Pastime Act, introduced last week by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.).

{mosads}The bill would exempt minor league baseball players from the same minimum wage and overtime protections enjoyed by most American workers.

The measure is a response to a class-action lawsuit filed by more than 500 current and former baseball players who say they are receiving less than minimum wage.

The lawmakers say that if the lawsuit is successful, salary increases could put some minor league teams out of business.

“Minor League teams are critically important, not just to the players and their parent teams, but to the communities they serve,” Bustos said in a statement. 

“This common sense proposal will close a loophole to ensure the long-term viability of Minor League teams in communities across our nation.”

While many baseball players get paid millions of dollars in the Major Leagues, minor leaguers make much less.

Minor league players often work long hours off the diamond, traveling, practicing and training, but in some cases they make as little as $1,150 per month. 

USA Today reported in 2014 that most minor leaguers earn between $3,000 and $7,500 over the course of a five-month season. http://bit.ly/293oeT2

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 292 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–The U.S. Census Bureau will propose new rules for its 2020 survey.

The Census Bureau’s proposed residence criteria would include procedures for counting the nation’s population, which helps determine how many votes and tax dollars states receive from the federal government.

“The residence criteria are used to determine where people are counted during each decennial census,” the agency says. “Specific residence situations are included with the criteria to illustrate how the criteria are applied.”

The public has 30 days to comment. http://bit.ly/298Cpt0

–The Department of Energy (DOE) will release a draft environmental assessment of proposed energy conservation standards for manufactured homes.

The environmental assessment will help the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy “analyze the potential impacts on indoor air quality” from the rule that was published earlier this month.

The public has 45 days to comment. http://bit.ly/296aVCR

–The Department of Labor (DOL) will issue an information collection request that relates to the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s smoking prevention program in hazardous areas of underground coal mines.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/294eqZH

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

IRS inversion rules face blowback http://bit.ly/29qr5GT

Treasury officials to meet lawmakers on inversion rules http://bit.ly/2917Wtt

Fed signs off on most banks’ capital plans http://bit.ly/293jY6e

Bill would exempt minor league ballplayers from salary protections http://bit.ly/293oeT2

Equality Caucus: Hearing planned for ‘religious freedom’ bill http://bit.ly/29bxacF

Dems push court for workplace LGBT protections http://bit.ly/29aN4nP

Vets bill would protect their credit scores http://bit.ly/29147EJ

Dems: Keep gun research ban out of spending bills http://bit.ly/2913N8T

Warren targets Amazon, Apple, Google in anti-monopoly speech http://bit.ly/2954Esr

Warren criticizes Obama administration on antitrust enforcement http://bit.ly/298IJki

Regulators pull back ‘systemically important’ label for the first time http://bit.ly/293pyVP

Senators seek revenue sharing for offshore drilling http://bit.ly/29aiBHz

Transportation chief offers hints on upcoming self-driving car regs http://bit.ly/293pLbF

US, Mexico, Canada detail continent-wide clean energy plan http://bit.ly/298IVzZ

107 Nobel laureates sign letter blasting Greenpeace over GMOs – The Washington Post http://wapo.st/295gfqr

The humiliating practice of sex-testing female athletes – The New York Times http://nyti.ms/295g7Y7

Health officials prepare for Zika. but local efforts tight – The AP http://apne.ws/2952n0m

 

BY THE NUMBERS

$1,150:  Monthly salary for some minor league baseball players.

(Source: Sports Law Blogger).

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY 

“Baseball has always held a very special place in my heart,” — Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), who is pushing legislation that would exempt minor leaguers from some pay and overtime rules. Supporters of the bill say it will help minor league teams stay in business. http://bit.ly/293oeT2

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.

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