Legislators and agency officials communicated with AGC that an agreement has been reached on a transportation budget for the next two years. At the time of this publication, the bill language is in the final drafting stages and will be made public soon. Transportation received a budget target of $200 million over the base budget from 2019. The Senate will hear the bill in Finance Committee on Monday, where it is expected to pass. Therefore, it is possible that the bill could be heard by the entire Senate by the middle of next week as they begin week two of special session. The House timeline is not yet known, but will hopefully fall along similar lines as the Senate. Timing will depend on several factors, including formatting bills and the length of debates when budget bills are heard by the entire House and Senate.

 

Contractors received official notice from MnDOT and the Department of Administration on Thursday that funds have not yet been allocated ahead of the July 1^st deadline when the new fiscal year for the State begins. State agencies are obligated to send out letters notifying contractors of the current situation, but have confidence the budget bills (transportation and jobs/economic development, respectively) will be officially passed ahead of end of the fiscal year and signed by the Governor.

 

Legislators and the Governor have also reached agreement in several other budget areas, including Commerce, Jobs and Economic Development, Climate and Energy, Agriculture and Broadband, Taxes, Higher Education, and Legacy Fund. A handful of others remain. Legislative leadership has strongly stated there will not be a state government shutdown, and they will get their work done on time. Minnesota is the only state with a divided legislature.

 

As for a public works/bonding bill, the Senate Capital Investment committee heard a bill to make modifications to last year’s historic bonding bill on Thursday. Although some conversations are happening around a smaller $500 million bonding bill, it is questionable whether there would be enough support for a supermajority vote needed to pass, particularly in the House of Representatives.

 

AGC members can expect a comprehensive overview of budget and policy provisions affecting the construction industry next week, or shortly after official action by the Legislature and Governor. Monitor your email for any calls for member action to the legislature. For questions in the meantime, contact AGC Government Affairs Director Laura Ziegler at lziegler@agcmn.org with any questions.

KARE 11 aired a story this week from the Hwy 12 job that describes the reality for our industry when lawmakers come down to the wire on passing a budget. 

On June 9, AGC and the business community urged President Biden to remove steel and aluminum tariffs and quotas on the nation’s allies to help address significant price and availability issues for those construction materials. For instance, a widely watched index of steel prices rose 11% in April alone, setting new record highs each week. Many suppliers have warned of difficulty in securing truck or rail transportation from factories, distribution centers and ports. One steel manufacturer, for example, reported on April 28 having to wait 15 days for railcars to ship a load of steel. Members of the White House National Economic Council recently met with AGC’s Chief Economist Ken Simonson, who communicated the severity of the construction materials situation and the need to immediately remove such tariffs and quotas to help provide some relief.

LAST CHANCE to be entered in the Yeti Cooler Giveaway!

All members who are signed up for AGC's new legislative action alerts platform by this Sunday, June 20 will be entered in a giveaway of a Yeti Roadie 24 Hard Cooler. Thank you for your time and advocacy!

MNDOT-AGC-MAPA Bituminous Committee

2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Via Zoom

Email Laura Ziegler at lziegler@agcmn.org for the log in information.

Nominations are now open for awards to be given for 2020 work hours and safety records. Awards will be presented in 3 categories: Category I (0 – 149,999 hours), Category II (150,000 – 299,999 hours), and Category III (300,000+ hours).

Congratulations to The Mathiowetz Construction Company on achieving the highest level of safety recognition for their TH 212 Reconstruction project near Cologne, MN! Click the thumbnail for a larger version, and view all the Level 3 projects here.

The Construction Health And Safety Excellence (CHASE) program is a cooperative partnership between AGC of Minnesota and MNOSHA.

Join the AGC Board of Directors and staff on July 22 at Pier B Resort in Duluth for first post-pandemic member event!

Ken Simonson, AGC of America's Chief Economist, will cover the current national and state outlook for construction project types, materials costs and availability, and labor.

Register today!

There are still a few foursome spots available in the AGC Golf Tournament on August 6 at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood!

All hole sponsorships have been sold, but there are still opportunities to sponsor breakfast, lunch or great raffle and contest hole prizes!

Sign up to play or sponsor here.

The upcoming schedule and nomination form can be found here.

Join us on September 15 at Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club for our annual fundraiser! Funds raised are used for scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the construction industry.

Get all the details and register here.

www.helminsandandgravel.com   

AGC of America has entered into a new agreement with FedEx that offers member firms deeper discounts on FedEx shipping services (up to 50% on small package express shipping). Participants in the previous AGC FedEx program are able to continue to use that program, but you must enroll in the new program in order to receive the additional discounts. There is no fee to enroll.