Attempts to repeal the Missouri prevailing wage law are based on the assumption that taxpayers will save money. Researchers at tne University of Missouri have discovered that repeal woud harm state and regional economies in the state. The study, released in January 2004, is the most recent and is consistent with other research conducted at universities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, California and several other large public Universities.

This study compares square footage costs for a wide variety of public and private buildings from large commercial projects like parking garages,hospitals,dormitories and government centers. While concentrating mainly on Missouri, there is ample time spent on studies conducted in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and eight other upper midwest states. The main purpose of the study is to analyze the economic impact of repealing Missouri's state prevailing wage law. In the opinion of the authors and their associates, repeal would have a very negative impact on local economies. health benefits, safety, training and worker pensions. This is a very comprehensive report 151 page which may take a long time to download. There is an executive summary at the beginning which captures to essence of the research if time and printing are issues.

The Executive Summary

The Full Report