Prairie State Wire

NFIB Illinois has expressed opposition to a proposed expansion of the state's prevailing-wage mandate. The organization submitted written testimony to the Senate Labor Committee regarding Senate Bill 164. This bill, if passed, would extend Illinois' prevailing-wage requirements to federal construction projects that are administered or controlled by state or local governments, provided the federal rate is less than or equal to the state rate.

The committee did not take action on March 4 but may revisit the bill in future sessions.

"Prevailing-wage requirements impose significant administrative burdens and costs on contractors," according to NFIB's statement. They argue that these mandates limit competition by excluding smaller contractors from public contracts and increase infrastructure costs, which require additional taxpayer resources.

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