Legislation that would require a "prevailing wage" be paid to those working on taxpayer-funded construction projects in Iowa may be tabled at the statehouse, but legislators continue to bicker about the bill behind the scenes — and in public. Representative Bruce Hunter, a Democrat from Des Moines, delivered what he called "an open statement to the people of Iowa" Thursday during remarks on the House floor.
"I apologize to those of you who have looked to this legislature to provide some relief in these economic troubling times. We have failed you," Hunter began. "Those forces who would benefit from keeping Iowa a low-wage state seem to have prevailed — for now."
Hunter was among the 50 Democrats in the House who voted for the prevailing wage bill two weeks ago, but five Democrats voted against it, dooming the bill. Hunter Thursday accused businesses of considering labor a "disposable resource."
