Republicans are making many of us conservatives very, very angry over this.

Madison— Highlighting the Republican split on Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law, a key western Wisconsin senator said Friday that he doesn’t support repealing the statute.

One day after a conservative senator scheduled a committee vote on the prevailing wage repeal, Spring Green Sen. Howard Marklein made clear that the vote on the measure will fail.

On a break from spring planting on his tractor, Marklein said he wants to rewrite the 84-year-old law, not repeal it.

“If the (repeal) bill is as is, I’m going to be voting no,” Marklein said. “The prevailing wage law isn’t perfect by any means, but I’ve got people in my district, contractors and workers, who are affected by it. I’m not comfortable at this point with full repeal.”

There is no rational argument for preserving the prevailing wage law other than that it puts money into the pockets of some business owners and unions. It does so, however, at the cost of every taxpayer in Wisconsin.

Marklein, remember, was just elected after running as a conservative against the long-time RINO Dale Schultz. And now on the first test of his conservatism, he is failing. He is caving to some special interests in his district.