Missouri Senate committee to take up prevailing wage

JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri Senate committee is expected to consider a bill eliminating the state’s “prevailing wage” requirement.

The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Dan Brown, of Rolla, would eliminate the wage used by cities, counties and other government entities to pay for construction projects.

Missouri calculates an annual prevailing wage for various construction trades in each county based on surveys of wages already paid on jobs.

The committee is also scheduled to hear other labor proposals Tuesday, including bills that would ban the payment of union dues as a condition of employment. A Missouri House committee heard similar “right-to-work” legislation last week.