Prevailing wage repeal is scheduled for a legislative hearing and vote on Wednesday at the Capitol.
State Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere), who chairs the Assembly Labor Committee, wants to get rid of the law that require construction workers involved in government projects be paid a set minimum wage. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Racine) said Republicans, who control the legislature, are not ready for a full repeal.
Vos’s trying to negotiate the “best possible” prevailing wage deal. “Our caucus has discussed this. I know where our caucus is at,” he said. “So we’ll have a hearing tomorrow, but I hope that the hearing does not derail our efforts to get real reform, which is my frustration.”
Jacque believes if given the chance, a repeal would pass. Vos disagrees. “Well the interesting thing about Andre Jacque is he also believed he would be majority leader and he didn’t come even close, so I don’t think I’d trust Andre Jacque’s ability to count the votes.
An effort to repeal failed in a Senate committee last month.