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Construction Wage Repeal Opponents Rally At Statehouse

Brandon Smith
/
IPBS

More than two thousand predominantly union workers and contractors filled the south lawn of the Statehouse, listening to industry leaders and lawmakers oppose a bill repealing the common wage law.

“Enough is enough! Just vote no,” the rallyers chanted.

Frank Marshall is the president of contracting company G. E. Marshall.  He describes himself as a lifelong Republican and says he regrets helping put GOP lawmakers in power at the Statehouse.

“They will not any longer get any financial support from me or my votes in the future,” Marshall says.

Force Construction President Harold Force says most of the support for repealing the common wage comes from people not involved in the construction industry.

“Whose knowledge of the means and methods of construction is secondhand at best.  The way I like to put it is, if you don’t spend time in the ocean, then you are not qualified to life as a fish,” Force says.

Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel), the bill’s author, says he doesn’t think the rally will impact the final vote.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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