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Marek and state Sen. Becky Schmitz addressed about 40 residents who attended the meeting. During opening remarks Marek said reports by the Iowa GOP that he was being "highly pressured" to approve the bill were greatly exaggerated. He said there had been some discussion, but the people speaking to him were cordial.
"A lot of things were blown out of proportion," he said. "I wasn't in a locked area. I was getting a lot of calls on the subject and I appreciate the input."
The bill failed today on a 49-49 tie after the voting machines were turned off at 1 p.m. Monday. Representatives had the chance to vote for or against the legislation for about 67 hours. Former Rep. Sandra Greiner said on Saturday evening that this was the first time the voting machines remained open.
Saturday morning, Marek said he wouldn't change his vote. He said his goal was to represent the majority of the people, and he felt the people didn't want the bill to pass.
According to HSB 149, the proposed prevailing wage bill would affect state projects with a price tag of $100,000 or more and school district projects of $300,000 or more. Counties with a population of more than 40,000 and cities with a population of more than 20,000 would also be required to adhere to the prevailing wage bill. However, the legislation also requires prevailing wages for public projects costing $1 million or more.
John Greener, who was the first to speak, said he was disappointed that Marek voted against the measure. He said Iowa is losing people due to low wages. He said the bill was not a union issue, as had been said several times.
Schmitz said that she supported passage of the bill, saying she believed lower wages for workers would equal lower quality of work. She said if the measure came to the senate, she would vote to approve it. She also cited a study from the University of Missouri stating that not having a prevailing wage law hurt families and the economy. Citizen Shaun Greiner said he believed Iowa is better off than Missouri and that Schmitz's use of a study from Missouri was a "dishonest" characterization of what the law would be like in Iowa.
Harold Frakes said he was "disappointed" with Marek's vote.
While some others present believed Marek should have supported the bill, most of the people present who voiced an opinion said they believe Marek had made the right decision.
For the full story, see the Feb. 23 edition of The Washington Evening Journal
