Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:642 expressly preempts any parish or municipal minimum wage above the federal floor, leaving New Orleans private-sector workers covered only by the $7.25 federal rate that has not changed since 2009.
Adopted in 1997 and reinforced over subsequent decades, LA RS 23:642 prohibits political subdivisions from establishing, mandating, or otherwise requiring a minimum wage rate that an employer must pay employees. The statute survived a 2002 voter-approved New Orleans ballot measure that would have set $6.15 locally; the Louisiana Supreme Court struck the city ordinance in New Orleans Campaign for a Living Wage v. City of New Orleans. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act floor of $7.25 therefore controls private-sector pay, except for tipped workers ($2.13 base) and narrow exemptions.
Federal Wage and Hour Division complaints recover back pay plus liquidated damages. The city cannot enforce any private-sector minimum above $7.25 without legislative action in Baton Rouge.
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