MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – The Wisconsin Assembly’s Labor Committee will forge ahead with an effort to repeal the prevailing wage for highway and other public works projects.
The committee has a 9 a.m. public hearing scheduled Wednesday at the State Capitol on a bill to get rid of the 80-plus-year-old prevailing wage concept.
It requires contracted workers on public works’ projects to be paid wages similar to those for similar projects in the same area.
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance has said it would save up to $300 million a year if the prevailing wage was scrapped. Democrats and other critics say the resulting drop in employee wages could also drop the quality of infrastructure, and force more projects to be redone.
GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said a few weeks ago he didn’t have the votes for a full repeal.
The chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, De Pere Republican Rep. Andre Jacque, told the media on Tuesday that someone needs to stand up for taxpayers and that he doesn’t think Speaker Vos wants him to hold this hearing.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the same thing last week — and his GOP caucus might try to fashion a lesser change to put in the state budget.
The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee is expected to take its final budget actions this week before the massive two-year package goes to both houses.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
