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Bill Repealing Common Construction Wage Goes Forward

Indiana Senate Republicans

A Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill repealing the state’s common construction wage while also adding new requirements for contractors on public projects. The legislation eliminating the minimum wage for public construction projects heads to  the Senate floor.

An amendment added in committee would require contractors to have training programs and liability  insurance, and bars them from paying employees in cash. It also prohibits local governments from  passing their own version of the common wage. 

Buck Creek Republican Senator Brandt Hershman, who  authored the amendment, says it ensures workers are well trained and public projects well done.

“That can be done without continuing to allow a broken wage system to continue to operate at a cost to  the taxpayer,” says Hershman. 

But South Bend Democratic Senator John Broden says repealing the common wage while requiring  governments to accept the lowest bid on a project will create problems.

“It’s going to lead to some poorly-done projects," says Broden, "it’s going to lead to some regrets that are going to show  up eight, ten, 12 years after these projects are built.” 

The committee approved the bill eight to five, with one Republican joining Democrats in voting against  it.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.