A bill aimed at repealing the prevailing wage has surfaced again this session, and it’s causing just as much debate this year as it did in 2015.
On just the third day of the 2016 session, dozens of people came out to the capitol early Friday morning to attend the House Government Organization’s public hearing on House Bill 4005, repealing prevailing wage.
In 2015, the legislature passed a bill that favored only a partial repeal, but this year, they’re looking at a full repeal. Sixteen people spoke to the committee, but only two spoke in favor of the bill.
Thomas Samples is a teacher and an electrician from Putnam County who spoke out against House Bill 4005.
“And as I was signing in this morning,” said Samples, “I noticed on that sheet; oppose, oppose, oppose, oppose, oppose; where are all the people that support this?”
Those in opposition of a repeal say there’s no proof it would save tax payer dollars and that it would actually decrease workers’ salaries.
House Bill 4005 will likely strike up more debate in the coming weeks.