The latest Wisconsin small business news from Bill G. Smith
As the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee works toward wrapping up work on the State Budget, eliminating the state’s prevailing wage law remains in the mix of unresolved issues.
Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 49 would repeal Wisconsin’s archaic prevailing wage law which mandates wages paid by public schools, municipalities and counties for work on public construction projects.
At a time when the Legislature needs to maximize every dollar it collects, eliminating prevailing wage would also end a practice that often completely shuts out small and minority contractors from even participating in the bidding process for local projects.
The complexities of the current prevailing wage law and the realities of high artificial wage rates discourages small and minority businesses from participating in local taxpayer financed projects.
NFIB member survey results show 84 percent of the respondents back repeal of prevailing wage.
The Assembly Committee on Labor has voted to recommend passage of Assembly Bill 32, but the legislation has yet to be scheduled for a vote by the Assembly.
NFIB members are encouraged to contact their elected officials to urge them to support Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 49.
