York says she voted ‘no’ on right to work, Prevailing Wage bills
A House panel has passed right-to-work legislation that would prohibit Kentuckians from being required to join labor unions as a condition of employment.
House Bill 1, sponsored by House Speaker Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown and Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, would prohibit mandatory membership in or payment of dues to labor organizations with few exceptions involving federal law and agreements entered into before HB 1 would take effect. Violators would be subject to prosecution.
The legislation passed the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee favorably after an hour-long discussion that began with comments from Governor Matt Bevin. “Jobs come from private sector employers and they’re incentivized by the kinds of things you’re going to hear in coming days,” said Bevin. “This is a zero-sum game.”
Statement from Lawrence/Carter Rep. Jill York on Right to Work Legislation in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (January 7, 2017) – “It is no secret or surprise that I voted in opposition to two pieces of legislation whose impact will be directly felt in my region. Overwhelming sentiment in the 96th District believes Right to Work and the Repeal of Prevailing wage will diminish both our workers voices and their hard earned wages,” York said.
“I remain committed to economic development for our region that will increase opportunities for our very skilled and capable people. However, our push for an improved business climate should not come at the expense of our working families.” — Jill
Bill would also prohibit right to strikes by public employees
Hoover said private sector employment in right-to-work states increased over 17 percent between 2001 and 2013 compared to around an 8 percent increase in non-right-to-work states like Kentucky.
Those opposing the bill included Rep. Gerald Watkins, D-Paducah, who told the committee that tax code changes and the paring-down of regulatory burdens could do more for Kentuckians than right-to-work legislation. “I don’t believe personally a right-to-work law is (a) silver bullet,” he said.
Also speaking against the bill was Kentucky Center for Economic Policy analyst Anna Baumann who said Kentucky’s manufacturing sector is strong without right-to-work—Kentucky has the fifth-highest manufacturing employment as a share of total employment nationally, she said. But Hoover, backed by officials from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as he gave his testimony, said data shows the economy is stronger in right-to-work states.
“Economic development is not only my primary, but my sole motivation in proposing this legislation,” said Hoover.
HB 1 would also prohibit public employees in Kentucky from engaging in work strikes. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
Prevailing wage bill clears House committee
A bill that would repeal a state law requiring payment of an hourly base wage—or prevailing wage—to workers on public works construction projects has passed a House committee.
House Bill 3, sponsored by House Speaker Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, and Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, would apply to projects for which bids have not yet been awarded at the time the bill, should it pass, takes effect. An emergency clause included in HB 3 would ensure the bill takes effect immediately upon being signed into law by the governor.
Koenig, who presented HB 3 to the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee before the committee approved the bill today, said prevailing wage laws are “unlikely to yield rates that are representative of market wages.” They are also a financial strain on local governments and school districts, Koenig said, emphasizing that saving money was the motivation for filing HB 3.
The bill has the support of Boone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Randy Poe who testified alongside Koenig. Poe told the committee that higher construction fees on prevailing wage projects have cost his school district as much as $50 million over the last 19 years.
“The higher fees we pay through prevailing wage keeps us from improving upon traditional space versus portable space (for) our students,” said Poe. “This is about creating more space for our students.”
Speaking against the bill was Bill Finn, the state director of the Kentucky State Building and Construction Trades Council. Finn said that nine out of 11 economic studies since 2001 have showed no increase in overall construction costs due to prevailing wage. “Twenty three percent is the entire pie that prevailing wage affects,” said Finn.
HB 3 now goes to the full House for its consideration.
From LRC Public Information
