Amendment to Protect Taxpayers from Unfunded Mandates

Rep. Mike Peifer proposed a constitutional amendment to ban state legislation that imposes unfunded mandates on local governments. Since Governor Rendell has been lax at cutting wasteful spending despite shrinking state revenue, the state legislature has been all-too-willing to pass the burden of payment to local governments through unfunded mandates.

Peifer’s proposed amendment (HB 1377) will prohibit any unfunded state mandate that places a financial burden on local government and other political subdivisions. This bill will also have the desirable effect of eliminating the need for local governments to pay prevailing wages on public construction projects. The Pennsylvania School Board Association has been pressing for similar legislation for years.

In the case of schools, annual savings will amount to approximately $75.2 million, accounting for the cost of Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law.