LANSING, MI (WTVB) – A new study says that Michigan’s prevailing wage law costs residents more than $224 million per year, and today a repeal of the legislation moved out of committee and on to the Senate floor after nearly two hours of debate and testimony. The study from the Anderson Economic Group came out just prior to the heated debate in the Senate’s Michigan Competitiveness Committee , which is chaired by 16th District Senator Mike Shirkey, Branch County’s senator in Lansing.
The state’s prevailing wage law essentially requires construction firms doing work for the government to pay union scale wages and follow union work rules.
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof testified in support of the package of bills to repeal the requirements. Meekhof said he believes repealing prevailing wage will result in millions of tax dollars being saved. Meekhof previously testified before members of the Indiana Legislature in support of a successful effort to repeal the state’s common construction wage.
