(1) These rules are adopted pursuant to 18-2-431 , MCA, giving the commissioner rulemaking authority to implement the Montana Prevailing Wage law, commonly known as Montana's "Little Davis-Bacon" Act (18-2-401 , et seq., MCA) . The purpose of the above referenced statutes and these rules is to protect local labor markets, to maintain the general welfare of Montana workers on public works projects, to eliminate wage cutting as a method of competing for public contracts, to maintain wages and rates paid on public works at a level sufficient to attract highly skilled laborers performing quality workmanship and to prevent the rate of wages from adversely affecting the equal opportunity of Montana contractors to bid on public works.

(2) In 1931, the legislature enacted the Montana "Little Davis-Bacon" Act. The Act requires a hiring preference for Montana workers in all contracts let for public works, a 50 percent preference on public works projects, excluding projects involving the expenditure of federal aid funds or where residency preference laws are specifically prohibited by federal law, and empowers the commissioner to determine the minimum wage rates to be paid to all workers on public work contracts.