Prevailing Wages on Public-Private Partnerships?

HB 1992 would require that prevailing wages be paid on a variety of projects that are typically termed as public-private partnerships - not public works projects, but projects that have significant financial commitment from the private sector.

The bill would require payment of prevailing wages for projects that involve tax incentives established by a public agency, loans provided by a public agency, sales of public land or property to a private entity for less than fair market value by a public agency, or leases of public land or property to a private entity by a public agency.

Without this financial commitment from the private sector, these projects would not be possible. My concern with HB 1992 is that it would have the impact of making many of these projects not financially feasible, thereby causing the projects to be canceled.

Especially in this economic downturn where all construction projects that help to generate jobs is so important, this bill would have significant negative consequences to the general public and to workers in particular.