Register for an Event

Plant Operators Conference (Feb. 22-25)
TCC Fly-In (Feb. 24-25)
Adv. Supervisory Training (March 8-10)
Noise & Dust Workshop (March 9-11)
Basic Sales Course (March 22-25)
YLC Annual Meeting (April 16-19)

1. Congressional Roundup

Late on Feb. 12, the Senate passed S. 1072, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA), the reauthorization of TEA 21, by a vote of 76-21. This was a great victory for the NSSGA team. It is, however, just the first step in what will be a long, politically charged and possibly contentious process. Nonetheless, the strong Senate vote is significant, since it suggests that the Senate may be able to muster the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto of the bill. Last week, the Bush administration strongly suggested that the president would veto any bill that went over the administration's $256 billion six-year package for highways and transit. After Senate passage, the White House press secretary was unequivocal when he said that the president would veto the Senate bill.

S. 1072 proposes six-year total funding up to $318 billion, with $255 designated for highways and $56 billion for mass transit. Although the bill was passed with a so-called veto-proof majority (more than 66 "aye" votes), NSSGA and our Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) partners will continue to work on turning around those who voted "no" so that passage of the House-Senate conference report is approved. NSSGA urges our grassroots activists to thank members who voted for the bill with a thank-you call or e-mail. Draft letters are accessible in NSSGA's Legislative Action Center. Legislative activity will shift now to the House of Representatives. In the House, two principal committees, Transportation and Infrastructure for program authorization and Ways and Means for financing, will have the lead.

NSSGA, the TCC and the ATM coalitions will continue our strong advocacy for a six-year reauthorization bill at a significantly increased funding level (at least the $318 billion Senate-passed level, which does not increase the deficit because the program is paid for by user fees).

Senate Highway Reauthorization Includes Scaled Back "Build America Bond" Bill

Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) were unable to get the funding for their $56 billion, "Build America Bonds" bill into the Senate-passed TEA 21 reauthorization bill, but they were able to attach an authorization for a corporation that could potentially issue the tax credit bonds envisioned by their original bill. The Feb. 12 inclusion of a scaled-down bonds bill was in addition to their success in attaching language that would allow $15 billion in tax-exempt private activity bonds to be used for highway projects. While not exactly what they wanted, including authorization language for the corporation is useful because it allows the senators to build support for their bill, and fund it at a later date. Second, it serves as a "placeholder" for when the legislation goes to an eventual House-Senate conference. The White House has issued a statement on the legislation saying the President would veto any bill containing tax credit bonding proposals.

Senate Includes Joint Pavement Research and Technology Program in SAFETEA Bill

On Feb. 12, the Senate adopted an amendment to the highway reauthorization bill that included the NSSGA-, NAPA- and ACPA-proposed pavement research and technology program. The amendment, part of Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe's (R-Okla.) manager's amendment, provides $3 million annually for aggregates research and $6 million annually each for asphalt and concrete research. It creates a federal advisory committee that will receive equal input from interested stakeholders, including government. The advisory committee would develop research priorities, review ongoing research and issue regular reports to Congress and the public on research outcomes.

House Transportation Bill Still Stuck in Traffic

After seeing the traditionally slower-paced Senate pass their version of TEA 21 reauthorization, the House's legislative vehicle appears to be stuck in traffic. Earlier this month, Transportation and Infrastructure chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) was forced to postpone a hearing to mark-up (approve) H.R. 3550, the Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (TEA LU) due to concern over the bill's $375 billion price tag. The financing issue is still blocking traffic.

The administration has issued a number of statements opposing any increase in the gasoline user fee, bonding or increase from the general funds to pay for the highway bill, and, more recently, has advised Congress the president would veto the Senate-passed bill.

Chairman Young is reportedly ready to schedule a mark-up once the financing issue is worked out. After this week's congressional recess, Chairman Young, House Speaker Denny Hastert (R-Ill.), and Ways and Means Chairman William "Bill" Thomas (R-Calif.) will review the Senate's action and determine with counsel from GOP and Democratic leadership, what the course of action will be (see following story on contacting your Representative).

Write and Meet Your Elected Officials This Week

Both the House and Senate are at home this week-presenting a great opportunity to contact them. Now is the time to stop by and visit your members of Congress or arrange to take them on tours of your facility and impress upon them the need for quick enactment of a six-year highway reauthorization bill in time for the coming construction season, particularly in the northern climates where the season is short. When you meet with your representatives, be sure to tell them that it is vital to pass a highway reauthorization bill that meets our nation's needs for three reasons:

• create jobs (every billion dollars creates 47,500 private sector jobs that won't be exported)
• improve safety (one-third of the annual 40,000 highway deaths are directly related to poor road conditions-more than 12,000 people die over something we can fix); and
• reduce congestion (America loses $67 billion annually in wasted time and fuel).

Your voice is needed to show that there is strong public support for funding the highway program at a level that will maintain and improve the current system. Most representatives will have prearranged time for constituents to visit them and are more than willing to come by and visit your operation and meet the workers (voters).

The highway bill just passed the Senate (see related story) and now awaits action by the House of Representatives. Your efforts will help motivate the House to act. The Transportation Construction Coalition views the Senate's $318 billion in contract authority ($290 billion in guaranteed obligations) bill as the minimum that should be accepted by Congress for any six-year TEA 21 reauthorization bill. Such a bill would authorize $255 billion in contract authority for highways, $56.5 billion in contract authority for transit and guarantee funding levels over the six-year life of the bill. The TCC has stated that it would strongly oppose any effort to weaken the measure's firewalls or investment levels

Contact Jim Riley or John Goodwin if you require any additional assistance in contacting your members of Congress. Click here to access NSSGA's Legislative Action Center.

Time is Growing Short to Register for TCC Fly-In, Feb. 24-25

There is still time to register for the 2004 TCC Fly-In, Feb. 24-25, at the Hotel Washington, 515 15th St., N.W. in Washington, D.C. View the fly-in brochure by clicking here. This is a great opportunity to come to Washington and let your senators and representatives know that it is imperative for them to pass a six-year TEA 21 reauthorization bill that increases investment in our nation's highways.

NSSGA's Government Affairs Committee will hold a meeting in conjunction with the TCC Fly-In on Feb. 24 from 11:00 am-12:30 pm followed by a lunch from 12:30-1:00 pm in the Capitol Room. The meeting is open to all Fly-In participants. The focus of the meeting will be TEA 21 reauthorization and other important pending legislative priorities. The ROCKPAC Trustees will hold a meeting from 1:00-2:00 pm in the Capitol Room.

The Hotel Washington has no vacancies at this time, but there are two alternative hotels with rooms available: Hilton Garden Inn (14th & I Street), $195 rate per night, (202) 783-7800 and Holiday Inn (14th & M Street), $175 rate per night, (202) 737-1200. Be certain to identify yourself as being with the Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In. Contact John Goodwin for more information.

NSSGA Establishes New Toll-Free Direct Hotline to Congress

NSSGA has unveiled its new toll-free hotline that connects callers directly to Congress. Just dial (800) 450-8293 and you will be connected with a live Capitol Hill switchboard operator-no more pre-recorded messages or complicated automated menus. Just tell the operator whose office you would like to be connected to and they will do the rest. Calling Congress has never been faster or easier and it is still free for NSSGA members!

Industry Meets with House Education and the Workforce Committee Leader

NSSGA and other industry representatives met Feb. 11 with Rep. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, to discuss labor issues. McKeon has been mentioned as a possible future chairman of the full committee, and since his focus has been education, he was seeking input from industry on workforce issues. NSSGA reported that the working relationship with MSHA was much more collaborative in this Administration as exemplified by the Alliance agreement. Immigration reform was an issue highlighted and of particular concern to the assembled industry representatives due to the changing workforce confronted by businesses today. McKeon asked to meet with the group on a regular basis to receive information on issues of importance to business.

Senate To Consider Stripped-Down Energy Bill

Senate leaders have reached agreement on a stripped-down energy bill and plan to consider it on the Senate floor soon after the President's Day recess. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) agreed late Feb. 12 to move the bill, S. 2095, directly to the floor under an expedited rule that bypasses committee consideration. The agreement trims the cost of the bill to about $14 billion, but also deletes a liability waiver for producers of MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), a fuel additive that has been found to contaminate ground water. That move is sure to be opposed by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), and other House GOP leaders who insist the contentious provision remain in any energy package. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, wrote the new version of the omnibus energy bill to help break a stalemate over the conference report on a larger energy bill, H.R. 6, that failed to surmount a filibuster last year. The new version cuts the price tag of the package by more than half, from $31 billion over 10 years to less than $14 billion. Originally, the energy bill contained the ethanol tax provisions supported by NSSGA and its TCC partners. Those provisions are now included in the highway reauthorization bill. The energy bill still contains incentives to encourage more production of ethanol, as well as core provisions like a loan guarantee for an $18 billion natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the continental U.S. and a major break on federal royalties that energy companies must pay when they drill for natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico. Removed from the bill are costly provisions, including $1.1 billion in Gulf of Mexico coastal restoration, $1.5 billion in research for deep drilling for natural gas and $3 billion in energy conservation program.

2. More NSSGA Producer Members Commit to Safety Pledge

3. SBA Seeks Nominations for Assistance Program Recognition, Environmental Stewardship Awards

4. Industry Updates

• MDU Resources Group, Inc., Bismarck, N.D., announced that Fred Carlson Company, Inc. and Roverud Construction, Inc., have been acquired for a combination of cash and MDU Resources common stock. The companies have been merged into Knife River Corporation, the construction materials and mining subsidiary of MDU Resources. Financial details of the merger were not disclosed. The companies will collectively operate under the name Fred Carlson Company, LLC.

5. NSSGA on the Road

• NSSGA Senior Vice President Bill Ford delivered an update on national issues of interest to the aggregates industry at the Kentucky Crushed Stone Association's Annual Winter Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, on Feb. 10, and also briefed the Annual Winter Convention of the Kentucky Highway Industries on the details of the Senate's passage of S. 1072 reauthorizing TEA 21. More than 360 were registered at the combined meetings of the Kentucky Crushed Stone Association, the Plantmix Asphalt Industry of Kentucky and the Kentucky Highway Industries. Lori Harper, Rogers Group, Inc., was elected 2003 Chair of the Kentucky Crushed Stone Association.
• On Feb. 17, Gus Edwards, NSSGA vice president for communications and community relations, discussed the national perspective of community relations in the aggregates industry during the Georgia Crushed Stone Association's 2004 Management Workshop in Atlanta.

6. Reserve Your Seat for the Raleigh Noise & Dust Workshop, March 9-11

• Luck Stone Corporation, Fairfax, Va., May 18-20
• Tilcon Connecticut, North Branford, Conn., July 27-29
• Hanson Building Materials, San Jose, Calif., Oct. 5-7

So if you're a supervisor, safety & health professional, industrial hygienist, or consultant, you can't afford to miss out on this opportunity to learn the latest in MSHA's regulations on dust and noise monitoring and sampling. For more information contact Brandon Viars or (703) 526-1064 or visit our website to download a brochure for a workshop nearest you.

7. Don't Delay…Register Today for March Basic Sales Course

8. Register for Young Leaders Council Annual Meeting in Tampa

This working weekend includes a group team building activity, leadership session, golf outing and a Q&A session with Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), currently the youngest member of Congress. Call the Marriott (813) 221-4900 by March 22 to get the special "YLC" room rate of $179 per night. Contact Kelly Snyder for more information.

Information

9. Safety Awards Entry Forms Now Available On-line

This is how the on-line form works:

1) To access the form please refer to the following web address: http://64.78.6.195/safetyawards/. This site can also can be accessed by going through the following sequence of links: Issues & Information, Awards Program Guidelines, Safety Achievement Awards, Click Here for the Safety Achievement Awards On-line Entry Form.

2) Once you've accessed the address you will be prompted for a USERNAME and PASSWORD. The USERNAME will be your NSSGA Member ID (individual Member ID, not company) and the PASSWORD, which will be your last name (lower case). If you or the person in charge of transmitting the site-specific information do not have a NSSGA Member ID, you will need to obtain one from someone within your company who has one. There is a function on the login site that allows you to receive your Member ID if you have forgotten it.

3) Once you are logged into the system, you will be prompted to ADD NEW ENTRY. Click this icon to proceed.

4) You will then be asked to enter all the data requested to successfully complete the online entry. Note all information on this form is pertinent and critical to successfully complete the online entry. Producers who do not have divisions or regions need not fill out this section, however, all others are required to complete this section as part of the application process. Also note that the information you provide us must be exactly how your company wishes its name to appear on the award plaques. For example, make sure that all commas, periods, INC., CO., or any other abbreviations included in your company's title are entered in the form as you would want them to appear on the plaques. We encourage you to coordinate with your corporate office or parent company before this information is submitted.

5) After you have verified that all the information that has been entered is correct, select the submit icon to complete the application process.

It's that easy! Mark your calendar for April 30 as the deadline to submit applications for the achievement awards. If you should have any questions, concerns, or login problems, please contact Brandon Viars or Trudi Brown. We appreciate your cooperation and patience with this matter and look forward to a competitive awards season.

On-line Entry Form

10. New Community Relations Awards Criteria Established in '04

New Criteria