This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would prohibit government entities from giving preference for contracts to companies that pay a so-called living wage. While not explicitly saying so, Sen. Howard Stephenson's Senate Bill 139 is aimed at Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's executive order giving preference to companies that pay employees at least $9.06 an hour plus health care benefits, or $10.56 an hour without benefits. No other Utah cities or counties have passed such a living wage order. Stephenson - a Republican from Draper who also is president of the business-backed Utah Taxpayers Association - says his bill will ensure there is not a "checkerboard" of different minimum wages across the state. He says the free market will take care of itself. "Whenever government gets involved in the free market it hurts those that it's supposed to be helping," Stephenson said. Democrats, and a few Republicans, objected to the bill, saying it was meant to protect business from having to pay higher wages. SB139 passed 19-10 in a near party-line vote. It now goes to the House. - Thomas Burr
