Prevailing Wage Bill Could Stymie Jobs

A bill that hopes to draw business to tough hit areas in Oregon is making its way to the Governor's desk; but another bill could negate its positive impact. A bill sponsored by Representative Bill Witt of Clatskanie would mandate prevailing wages in enterprise zones. Representative Jason Conger of Bend sponsored the bill that extends the sunset on Enterprise Zones. He says forcing prevailing wages would kill some projects: “For smaller projects in particular, it’s really a potentially significant price increase in price of construction.” There's a deadline of 5 p.m. today for the Prevailing Wage Bill to make it out of committee and onto the floor. Democrats say Republicans are blocking this bill from getting a floor vote.