Proponent Testimony on HB 146 - Americans for Prosperity, Jeff Dillon (June 23rd, 2021)

Summary

Proponent testimony on HB 146 to the House Commerce & Labor Committee, dated June 23rd, 2021, from Jeff Dillon, Ohio Legislative Director for Americans for Prosperity (AFP). The testimony states that HB 146 would end mandated use of prevailing wages for many Ohio public construction projects. It says AFP activists support the bill because prevailing wage mandates drive far higher construction expenses to taxpayers, and states that union firms' membership is only about 15% of private construction workers in Ohio. It says neighboring states such as Michigan and Indiana have already repealed mandatory prevailing wages for construction.

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 HOUSE COMMERCE & LABOR COMMITTEE – Proponent Testimony, HB 146, June
                           23rd, 2021.


Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lapore-Hagan, and members of the
committee, thank you for holding this hearing and for the opportunity to provide testimony.
My name is Jeff Dillon, and I am the Ohio Legislative Director for Americans for Prosperity
(AFP). As one of the largest grassroots organizations in the country, AFP is driving long-term
solutions to some of the country’s biggest problems. Our organization, and its thousands of
activists across Ohio, are dedicated to breaking barriers that stand in the way of people
realizing their full potential. Removing or reducing these barriers, in whatever forms they take,
helps move our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others
improve their lives and by transforming their communities. Accordingly, I am here to express
support for House Bill 146.
I thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of HB 146, which would end mandated use
of prevailing wages for many Ohio public construction projects.
AFP activists in Ohio support HB 146 because prevailing wage mandates drive far higher
construction expenses to taxpayers, requiring the state to raise taxes or reduce services and
infrastructure projects as a result. Instead of basing construction wages on flawed surveys often
dominated by union firms, whose membership is only about 15% of private construction
workers in Ohio, HB 146 would allow Ohio governments to seek competitive bids that improve
greater consideration of the burdens placed on all Ohio residents.

Just as project labor agreements have raised the cost of construction projects significantly in
Ohio, prevailing wage requirements similarly lead to billions of dollars of cost inflation annually
across federal and state projects in the United States. With neighboring states such as Michigan
(2018) and Indiana (2015) already repealing mandatory prevailing wages for their construction,
Ohio should be prioritizing the same cost savings.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions and price increases in many construction-
related industries, and AFP Ohio stands in strong support of HB 146, which would help relieve
taxpayer burdens for construction projects in the Buckeye State, helping us recover in the near
term and be in better fiscal position over the long term.

Chairman, thank you again for the opportunity to speak before your committee this morning,
and I’ll do my best to answer any questions the committee might have.




Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies
and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream –
especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local
infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than
100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org.


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