A study released this month by the Illinois Policy Institute found that repealing the state’s prevailing wage law would help boost the state’s economy by lowering the cost to taxpayers on publicly funded construction projects and spurring job growth in the construction industry. 

Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018, which provides $1.1 trillion in discretionary funding for the federal government through 12 individual appropriations bills.

On July 13, the House of Representatives voted down Rep. Paul Gosar’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 183-242.The amendment, H. Amdt. 180 (Gosar) H.R. 2810, would have directed the secretary of labor to use Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for wage determinations under the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA). Using accurate BLS data would prove the federal government is sincere in its goal of curbing waste and stretching project dollars further in addition to increasing competition, lowering costs and helping to level the playing field for all members of the construction industry.

On May 22nd, U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced The Opportunity in Construction Act, which aims to reform the way the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) calculates prevailing wages under the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act.  Sen. Flake’s bill directs the DOL to set prevailing wages for federal and federally assisted construction projects covered by the Davis-Bacon Act and Related Acts using data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

On March 22, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of R. Alexander Acosta to serve as United States Secretary of labor. President Trump nominated Acosta to head the U.S. Department of Labor On Feb. 16. Acosta’s nomination must be approved by the HELP Committee before the full Senate can vote on his nomination. 

On Feb. 15, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, former CKE Restaurants CEO Andrew Puzder, withdrew from consideration of the position. Prior to his withdrawal, Puzder was slated to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for a hearing on Thursday Feb. 16. 

Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act on Jan. 30 by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). The bill, H.R. 743, was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

West Virginia State Senator Sue Cline (R-Wyoming) was sworn into office on Jan. 25 following a Jan. 22 court decision requiring Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D- W.Va.) to appoint a Republican to fill a vacant seat. Sen. Cline was appointed to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Sen. Daniel Hall (R-Wyoming), who was elected as a Democrat but switched parties prior to resigning.

In a study evaluating Wisconsin’s approach to calculating prevailing wages and its financial impact on taxpayers, the nonpartisan, nonprofit, and independent Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) found at least two methodological “flaws” that tend to raise prevailing wages above market rates.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) March 6 signed S.B. 119, which will exempt K-12 and higher education school construction from state prevailing wage requirements beginning immediately.