AGC of America hosted its 94th Annual Convention in Palm Springs, Calif., March 6-9, 2013. The Convention was extremely successful with over 2,000 attendees and offering many educational and networking opportunities.
AGC and a diverse group of more than 55 national coalition partners representing state and local governments, housing and infrastructure developers, transportation groups and private industry, have urged the U.S. Senate to support the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds which local and state governments use to build America’s schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, airports, public transit, water systems and other essential public infrastructure.
AGC is getting additional reports from multiple chapters across the country that state legislatures are considering establishing or strengthening their state government procurement laws regarding domestic sourcing. Many of these efforts would restrict access to well-established global supply chains and increase the administrative burden on contractors. To certify that products and materials used in the construction process meet requirements, it will often necessitate manufacturer certifications that are difficult or impossible to procure.
AGC has received reports from multiple chapters that state legislatures are considering establishing or strengthening their government procurements laws regarding domestic sourcing. Many of these efforts would restrict access to well-established global supply chains and increase the administrative burden on contractors. To certify that products and materials used in the construction process meet requirements, it will often necessitate manufacturer certifications that are difficult or impossible to procure.
In addition to the Department of Labor, the Transportation Department (DOT) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released their top regulatory priorities for 2012. Below is a list of regulations from these two agencies that have the potential to impact the construction industry, if finalized.
AGC has joined Municipal Bonds for America, a new coalition designed to educate lawmakers about the municipal bond market and the impact that the tax-exemption that which enables state and local governments to finance vital infrastructure at the lowest cost to their taxpayers. AGC joins a growing membership comprised of bond issuers, regional bond dealers, and state and local government organizations all dedicated to making sure municipal bonds maintain their current status.
Voters in this election approved more than 380 ballot initiatives totaling more than $30 billion in state, local, and school bond measures. With municipal bond yields at some of the lowest rates since the ‘60s, many cities and states decided that this was the year to go for big infrastructure projects. States and municipalities were asking for $37 billion, so their success rate was over 80 percent, higher even than the average success rate for presidential election years (since 1948), which is 76.3 percent. Yet the $37 billion in approval sought was significantly less than the $67 billion sought in 2008.
Forty years ago today, the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution went into effect. The Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972, known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), became law after the bill was vetoed by President Nixon.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced legislation that would create a trust fund to be used to assess user fees on water users and products that affect the water stream in attempts to generate around $9 billion per year to pay for water infrastructure projects. To generate $9 billion annually, the bill proposes fees at the manufacturer level on bottled beverages, pharmaceuticals, and flushable products (personal hygiene, toiletries, cooking oils, etc.). None of these groups are supportive of the legislation and the bottlers have come out strongly opposed to paying into the fund.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2013 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service, and various independent and related agencies. In total, the bill cuts of $1.2 billion below last year’s level, with $870 million (or 73 percent) coming in the form of cuts to the State Revolving Funds (SRF) for clean water and drinking water infrastructure.