Higher Wages For State-Funded Construction Pass Senate, House

Workers on many local school construction projects would be paid at a higher rate under a prevailing wage bill approved Tuesday by the Maryland Senate.

The bill would increase overall construction costs by as much as 5%, estimates the state Department of Legislative Services.

Republican legislators were critical of SB 232, sponsored by Baltimore County Democrat Norman Stone. The bill passed 32-15 and requires that local governments pay the prevailing wage if the state has contributed 25% of funding or more to a school construction project.

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