A bill intended to stop Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson from giving preference to companies that pay a "living wage" when it comes to contracts with the city stalled Tuesday in the Senate.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, the sponsor of SB139, moved to put his bill on hold while he checked out concerns that the bill could affect discussions between local government officials and companies that are looking for taxpayer assistance to relocate.

"What is says is they cannot even consider the minimum wage in their deliberations," Minority Whip Ron Allen, D-Tooele, said. "This bill goes way too far . . . It sets a mandate that takes a negotiating position off the table for our cities and towns."

Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, said the bill could create difficulties for other communities throughout the state. "We in Washington County, we just love going after Rocky," Hickman joked. But, he said, "some of us out in the far reaches of the universe feel the impact of what you're trying to do here and this creates some problems for us."

But it was Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley, who was most critical.

Mayne, the head of the Utah AFL-CIO, labeled the bill "corporate welfare" and said it's the latest effort at "bringing up that old hobgoblin, Rocky. 'If we don't like something, let's go get Rocky. It's Rocky's fault.' " Mayne said that while he and the controversial Salt Lake mayor do disagree on a number of issues, he's right this time.

"Let's think about people. Let's think about the ability of people to make a decent income," Mayne said.

Stephenson, the head of the pro-business Utah Taxpayers Association, said he was trying to stop Anderson and anyone else from circumventing the law, which sets the minimum wage at $5.15. He had pushed passage of legislation in 2001 that prohibits local governments from enacting living-wage laws — but it didn't prohibit cities from considering wage when awarding contracts.

The bill would, Stephenson has said, close what he has described as the "Rocky loophole."