Lawmakers Introduce Companion Bills to Repeal Davis-Bacon Act
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) have introduced companion bills aimed at repealing the Davis-Bacon Act. The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors to pay their employees “no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area.” The Department of Labor sets the prevailing wage rates. The act also requires contractors and subcontractors pay their employees time-and-a-half for overtime hours.
Illinois to Consider “Private Sector Best Practices” for Procurement
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan has proposed creating a legislative committee to assess changes to the state procurement process recommended by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Rauner has urged more “private sector best practices” and a relaxation of oversight to streamline processes. “Governor Rauner has proposed a series of changes to the state’s procurement process that could generate savings for the state, and I believe they are worth considering,” Madigan said. “I want to work with the governor to reduce the cost of state government while maintaining transparent and ethical conduct in contracting.” Madigan and Rauner have been at loggerheads over the state budget for 18 months. Rauner sought to roll back some of the procurement reforms put in place to check corruption after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached.
Senator Introduces Bill Aimed at “Revolving Door”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has introduced a bill to address the “revolving door” of the public and private sector. Though no summary of the bill has been posted yet, the title of S.265 reads in full: “A bill to prevent conflicts of interest that stem from executive Government employees receiving bonuses or other compensation arrangements from nongovernment sources, from the revolving door that raises concerns about the independence of financial services regulators, and from the revolving door that casts aspersions over the awarding of Government contracts and other financial benefits.”
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