Posted on 07/07/2015 8:18:14 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
MADISON, Wisconsin — State Rep. Rob Hutton led the Assembly effort this session to kill Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law, the wage inflator that has cost taxpayers untold billions over the past 8o-plus years.
But the Brookfield Republican, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall — or the lack of votes in the Senate for full repeal — is getting behind a compromise amendment he says would go a long way to reforming prevailing wage.
On Monday, Hutton announced he is co-authoring a proposal by state Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, that would repeal prevailing wage for all local units of government, including school districts, municipalities and technical colleges. Lasee last week announced his budget amendment, which would also remove the state Department of Workforce Development from administering the complex prevailing wage formulas, annually saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I think this amendment or this reform package will at least provide a pathway for complete repeal in the very near future,” Hutton told Wisconsin Watchdog during an interview Monday on the Vicki McKenna Show on NewsTalk 1310 WIBA in Madison. “And if that’s the win, I can be content to take it as long as we know eventually that’s (full repeal) going to happen.”
For now, if Senate Republicans vote for the compromise legislation at this week’s extraordinary session on prevailing wage, reform — not repeal — will win the day.
State and federally funded public projects would continue to pay prevailing wage.
Wisconsin’s Great Depression Era prevailing wage laws artificially boost wages, setting pay for public construction projects comparable to wages on private-sector building projects in a region.
The compromise proposal has the backing of some key Republicans.
“While I co-authored a bill this session repealing the prevailing wage law, I accept the fact that differences in opinion are preventing us from passing that legislation,” said state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, in a statement. “As a result, I fully support the Lasee-Hutton plan. I favor the proposal that gets us closest to full repeal, and right now this is that proposal.”
Sanfelippo, who owned a landscaping company for nearly 20 years, said he knows first-hand the financial harm prevailing wage laws can do to taxpayer-funded projects.
He said the New Berlin Board of Education estimates repeal of prevailing wage would save taxpayers as much as $1 million on several upcoming projects.
Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin did an analysis of public school construction projects in 2015 alone and found, had prevailing wage repeal been in effect, taxpayers could have saved $37 million.
Hutton acknowledged core conservative lawmakers are disappointed in missing a golden opportunity for full repeal. Assembly Republicans hold the largest majority since the Eisenhower administration. The numbers are more narrow in the Senate, however, with Republicans owning a 19-14 power advantage.
Hutton called it “one of those moments of truth” for Republicans.
The lawmaker said the amendment would be inserted into the budget and could come up for a vote in the Senate as soon as Tuesday.
If it passes there, the Assembly could take up the prevailing wage reform provision tucked within the budget by Wednesday.
Democrats are vehemently against any reform to prevailing wage, decrying the proposals as pay cuts to union dues-paying construction workers.
A coalition of big labor, big contractors and old guard Republican lobbyists has dropped a lot of money into the effort to kill the conservative push for prevailing wage repeal, even reform. Republican legislative leaders in recent weeks have said they didn’t have the votes to make repeal a reality, but lawmakers like Hutton have pressed the issue.
Hutton said prevailing wage is another example of sound policy being muddied by politics.
“Unfortunately, when you layer politics with that, as often is the case in Madison, the environment competes for the interest of, ‘Do we stand up for taxpayers or do we stand up for other political interests…?” the lawmaker said.
RALLYING FOR REFORM: Rep. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, has pushed hard for full repeal of Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law. He will now have to settle for reform, something the lawmaker says he can live with if it leads to eventual extinction of the law that has for more than 80 years artificially inflated wages for public projects.
Republicans wavering on Prevailing Wage legislation — costing us all a lot of money. Scott Walker needs to come home and mindthe store.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Incrementalism - it works for the left.
Why does it seem that WI is the only place bringing the unions into the 21st Century?
Two words: Scott Walker
Not my very first choice for President, but he is on the short list for the work he has done for Wisconsin.
Well, Walker deserves a whole lot more attention than he’s getting. I almost never hear about him.
Trump is the only one speaking boldly on illegal invaders.
Cruz is the only one speaking boldly on the ‘Washington Cartel’.
Scott Walker is the only one to boldly reign in the powerful unions and their communist cronies.
Unions, especially public unions are at the heart of state and city budget woes. Mr. Walker is worthy of serious consideration, is he not?
Is he per chance a Packer fan? Maybe we can sit together in the ‘Lambeau Leap’ section.
Do away with min wage and let the market decide.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.