A proposed law, Senate Bill 7, that would punish charter cities that resist prevailing wages by denying them state construction funds for future projects, went before the Assembly Local Government Committee Wednesday, after passing the Senate 28-10. The committee approved this legislation which was introduced in response to a 2012 state Supreme Court ruling that upheld the state of Vista’s policy of not requiring contractors who work on local prevailing wage projects to pay prevailing wage rates when only local money is used.
If this bill is passed, it would mean that charter cities in California like San Diego, Vista, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos and Santee would be required to pay prevailing wage on all prevailing wage projects, regardless of whether only local money is used. The city of San Diego has already set a final vote to enact this prevailing wage requirement for later this month.
This new requirement would mean much more prevailing wage required work in San Diego County, but many critics of the law argue that this will force higher payments to workers and drive up the costs to taxpayers. How do you feel about this legislation?
Read the full article in the Union-Tribune here.