In response to the House-Senate Conference meeting on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (H.R. 3080) and the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601), ABC Jan. 7 sent a letter to members of Congress thanking them for recognizing the importance of our nation’s water infrastructure and for moving forward with the first Water Resource Reauthorization bill since 2007. However, ABC also expressed concern that the proposed Senate bill would expand Davis Bacon requirements and exclude a public-private partnership (P3s) program.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) commended a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California seeking declarative and injunctive relief against an unnecessary and discriminatory new statute (S.B. 54) recently enacted in the California Legislature. SB 54 is special interest legislation that would force private refineries in California to award construction and maintenance work predominately to contractors who sign contracts with Building Trades unions.  

ABC Nov. 27 praised the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for upholding Michigan’s 2011 law that prohibits government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction projects paid for by Michigan taxpayers. 

As a part of the Affordable Coverage Project, ABC and other business groups responded to final rules issued by the IRS on the new burdensome health insurance tax beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, calling on Congress to protect employers and consumers from the increased health coverage costs.

ABC Nov. 21 expressed concern over a controversial change in U.S. Senate rules and procedures that will allow the majority party to skirt a filibuster to confirm certain presidential appointments.  Traditionally, 60 votes have been needed to confirm nominees and pass legislation, but by invoking this unprecedented rule change along partisan lines, the majority has lowered that threshold to a simple majority of 51 votes.

ABC, as part of the Health Choices Coalition, sent a letter to Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), supporting the Restoring Access to Medication Act, an effort to avert the unintended consequences resulting from the restrictions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) placed on tax-preferred accounts that prohibit their use for purchasing over-the-counter (“OTC”) medications without a prescription.

ABC of California expressed their concern and opposition for two bills signed into law Oct. 13 by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) that will expand prevailing wage requirements and drive up the costs of local public and private projects.

ABC National and ABC of Michigan Sept. 6, celebrated a victory when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit upheld a law that banned government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer-funded construction projects.

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) Aug. 27 signed into law S.B. 776, which is designed to curtail the ability of contractors to count contributions to merit shop labor-management cooperation committees (LMCCs) against their fringe benefit obligations only if those committees monitor and enforce the prevailing wage. Other activities will still be allowed. The legislation preserves that ability for contractors contributing to similar committees run by unions.

As part of ABC’s partnership with the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) to educate lawmakers and the construction industry about the benefits of public-private partnerships (P3s), ABC South Texas Chapter is sponsoring a conference Sept. 11, in Austin, Texas.