A Republican senator from Lancaster is calling for a three-year halt to the state's prevailing wage law for construction projects, labeling it an unnecessary tax burden for taxpayers and something that could water down the positive effect of federal stimulus funds.

State Sen. Mike Brubaker, a conservative in his first term, charged that the 48-year-old law artificially inflates labor costs and bumps up the total cost of school construction projects, which the taxpayers ultimately pay through property taxes.

The law, which has long been a concern for fiscal conservatives and municipal and school officials, sets and enforces wage rates for taxpayer-funded construction projects of more than $25,000.

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