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Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines

�鶹��ý of America and �鶹��ý of San Antonio successfully delivered the brand new second edition of �鶹��ý’s Project Manager Development Program courses January 20th through the 24th to a sold-out class held at the �鶹��ý of San Antonio. Delivery of this course highlights the �鶹��ý of San Antonio’s commitment to educating and engaging their members. The updated curriculum directly addresses the core business of General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, and all trade partners. The class consisted of a mix of all three contractor types and everyone benefitted from instruction from �鶹��ý chapter instructors from �鶹��ý of Wisconsin, �鶹��ý of Houston and The Arizona Builder’s Alliance.

On Jan. 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized an �鶹��ý-supported rule to define “waters of the United States” – providing clarity when a federal permit is needed for work in or near federal waters. The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule better identifies federal waters, respects states’ primary role in land use and pollution prevention, and balances major case law from the last couple of decades.

�鶹��ý of America’s Business Development Forum, with support from The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), will offer free one-on-one Business Development (BD) “Check-Ups” to �鶹��ý Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more. The Free Business Development and Marketing Check-Up booths will be open Tuesday and Wednesday March 10 & 11 from 9:30-11:30 am PST. To learn more and sign up ahead of time please contact paige.packard@agc.org.

On Jan. 7, the Senate confirmed �鶹��ý-backed nominee Jovita Carranza to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA). Administrator Carranza previously served as Treasurer of the United States at the Department of the Treasury under President Trump and served as Deputy Administrator for SBA under President George W. Bush. Prior to these appointments, Administrator Carranza spent 30 years working for the United Parcel Service (UPS). As administrator, she will be a key voice in shaping the administration’s pro-business agenda and advocating on behalf of the nation’s small businesses and contractors.

On Jan. 15, the United States and China signed a modest ‘phase one’ trade agreement, signaling a major first step towards defusing tension in the trade war between the two nations. Under this initial agreement, the Trump administration will reduce the existing tariff rate on $120 billion worth of import goods from China, in addition to upholding its commitment to not impose further tariffs on Chinese goods. Although the agreement rolled back some of the import duties imposed on China, steep tariffs on $250 billion of goods remain. �鶹��ý applauds this initial agreement and will continue to advocate for a further reduction of tariffs to keep construction material cost low and maintain market stability.

On Jan. 16, the Senate overwhelmingly passed (89-10) H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (USMCA). Senate passage of this legislation clears the way for U.S. ratification of the newly negotiated trade pact between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Once President Trump signs the deal into law, Canada’s ratification is the final step before full implementation of the agreement. �鶹��ý has long supported this measure due to the significant economic impact trade with our North American neighbors has on the construction industry. Implementation of this new agreement will help ensure that trade impacting the construction industry supply chain remains free, fair, and certain.

As the year 2019 and Member Lauren McFerran’s term were both about to expire, the National Labor Relations Board (the Board or NRLB) reversed several noteworthy actions taken by the agency during the Obama Administration.

Trump Administration Proposal to Reform the Federal Environmental Review Process Will Fix Problems with Current Process While Maintaining Environmental Rigor, Construction Officials Say

Changes Effective March 16, 2020