Virginia Public Procurement Act; public works contracts, prevailing wage provisions. (HB145)

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.

Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington): CONTRACTS, THEY HAVE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS THEY HAVE TO PERFORM. THESE CONTRACTS GO OUT FOR BID. A BUSINESS CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO BID ON THE IF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DECIDES TO CONTRACT. PUT A REQUIREMENT ON A WAGE OR MINIMUM WAGE, IF YOU WILL, LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING IT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ENSURING THEY GET QUALITY AND LESS TURNOVER IN THE WORKFORCE. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS. THEIR BOARD MUCH SUPERVISORS ARE ELECTED DIRECTLY BY THE PEOPLE. AGAIN, THERE'S NO PROBLEM HERE TO BE SOLVED. I WOULD ASK THE BODY TO VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL. THANK YOU.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE SENATOR FROM MECKLENBERG. THE VIRGINIA PROCUREMENT POLICY SHOULD NOT GET INTO A BUSINESS OF HOW A BUSINESS OPERATES THEIR BUSINESS. AGAIN, MOVE THE BILL BE REPORTED. THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL HOUSE BILL 145 PASS. YES, THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM FAIRFAX, SENATOR SASLAW.

Sen. Dick Saslaw (D-Springfield): MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST BONES OF CONTENTION IN HERE, AND I SUSPECT THAT DRIVERS THESE BILLS THAT COME IN HERE EVERY YEAR IS THE SO-CALLED LIVING WAGE IF YOU CONTRACT WITH A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET THIS WAS -- THAT STARTED THIS WAS CHARLOTTESVILLE BACK IN THE '90s AND ARLINGTON, FAIRFAX AND I THINK ALEXANDRIA HAVE IT FOR YOU. THIS IS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE REGULAR BUSINESS SECTOR. THESE ARE PEOPLE -- THIS APPLIES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BIDDING ON A CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT, AND PROBABLY MAY GUESS WOULD BE MAIN 99% OF THESE PEOPLE, THE CONTRACTS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SWEEPT FLOORS AND CLEAN OUT THE BUILDINGS. NO ONE WHO'S BIDDING ON THIS IS AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL GOT TO BID THE SAME -- ESSENTIALLY, THEY ALL GOT TO BID THE SAME WAGE, OKAY? NOBODY IS AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE AND IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE EVERYDAY PRIVATE SECTOR. ON TOP OF THAT, ALL OF THESE GOVERNMENTS THAT I JUST NAMED, THE CITY COUNCIL AND BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS, HAVE BEEN THROUGH NUMEROUS ELECTIONS AND THE PEOPLE CERTAINLY HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO TOSS THEM OUT IF THEY DIDN'T APPROVE OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS OR THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS SUBSTANTIALLY RUNNING UNDER THE COST OF GOVERNMENT. WE'VE SEEN FIT TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO REJECT ANY RAISE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH IS $7.25 AN HOUR. I DON'T SEE, QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT THE BILL DEAL IS IF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WANT TO DO THIS AND IT ANNUAL APPLIES TO THESE -- AND IT ONLY APPLIES TO THAT'S PEOPLE BIDDING ON THOSE CONTRACTS WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AGAIN, FOR ONE WHO BIDS ON THESE CONTRACTS, FOR ONE, IS AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD STOP THIS RIGHT HERE AND NOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAD A BILL IN AND I GOT ACCUSED OF MEDDLING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS' AFFAIRS AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NOW.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE SENATOR FROM PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, SENATOR McPIKE.

Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Dale City): MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE BILL.

[Unknown]: THE SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR.

Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Dale City): I SUBMIT TO FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONING INITIATIVES THAT GO TOWARD VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO CONSIDER THE RAMIFICATIONS OF POLICIES. THERE'S SEVERAL GOING THROUGH THERE BODY RELATED TO SUCH. AND I'VE HEARD THE ARGUMENT AND I'VE HEARD IT TODAY THAT WE DON'T WANT GOVERNMENT DICTATING HOW OUR PRIVATE BUSINESSES IMPACT EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEE WAGES WHEN, IN FACT, IN OUR BUDGET TODAY THAT WILL BE DEBATED AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER BILLS PASSING THROUGH THERE BODY, WE'RE DOING EXACTLY THAT. IN FACT, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES, IT'S ONE OF OUR SOLE WAYS THAT THIS BODY CAN UNDERSTAND PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF THIS CONTRACT. I.E., MANY OF THE CONTRACTS FOR NEWPORT NEWS SHIP BUILDING, WHICH IS ON THE DOCKET, WHETHER IT'S I.T. OR GRANTS ESSENTIALLY TO BODIES THAT HAVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PREVAILING WAGE OF THE AREA, SO IN FACT WE DO AND THIS BODY HAS SEVERAL BUDGET AND BILLS THAT THIS BODY HAS PASSED THIS VERY YEAR IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THIS, AND I ASK THE BODY TO REJECT THIS MEASURE.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL HOUSE BILL 145 PASS. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE, THOSE OPPOSED NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 21, NOS 19. AYES 21, NOS 19.

---