Dems edge closer to Senate control, raising stakes for construction
Joe Bousquin It all comes down to Georgia.
With the outcome of yesterday's two runoff races in the Peach State determining the balance of power in the Senate, construction industry advocates say whatever the final count determines, it will have broad implications for contractors.
“Our livelihoods are riding on Georgia,” said Kristen Swearingen, vice president of legislative and political affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors. “No pressure down there, right?”
One of those races, between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, was called by several media outlets including AP early this morning for Warnock. The second race between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff was too close to call early Wednesday, though Ossoff had a slim lead of just 0.4% as of publication time.
As the country waits for the results, how the 117th Congress will proceed, and even the construction-related issues it will tackle in 2021, hang in the balance. Despite Loeffler's loss, if Perdue wins, the GOP will maintain its majority in the Senate.
With many important pieces of legislation facing lawmakers this year, the fate of the Senate will have a major impact on construction-related issues, industry advocates say.
Under a Republican-controlled Senate, pro-union legislation like the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which many non-union contractors oppose because it could essentially bar them from working on federal contracts, would likely never see the light of day.
“If the PRO Act passed the House and went to the Senate, I can assure you a Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would not bring it to the floor for a vote. Chuck Schumer, on the other hand, would have the PRO Act on the floor in a hot second,” Swearingen said, referring to the Senate Democrat leader from New York.
That scenario would only be possible if Ossoff wins, producing a 50-50 split in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote.
Infrastructure issues
Another crucial legislative issue for contractors this year is a potential federal infrastructure package. Under a GOP-controlled Senate, President-elect Joe Biden would have to compromise with Republican leadership to advance his multitrillion dollar infrastructure proposal, something his transition team has already been reportedly working to achieve.
While passing a comprehensive infrastructure spending bill has been cast as a bipartisan measure that should have widespread support, both former President Barack Obama and President Trump weren't able to do so. The problem, as with anything in politics, comes down to figuring out the details of who would pay for it.
"There were a lot of good conversations about how infrastructure could impact the potential recovery in the next year" in the previous Congress, said Peter Comstock, ABC’s director of legislative affairs. "But there's always the issue, if you're going to do a multitrillion dollar infrastructure bill, of where is the money going to come from. That's something Congress is going to have to find a bipartisan solution to."
Ciara Hooks NEW BRITAIN – The Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a webinar Friday featuring the New Britain, Berlin and Plainville directors of economic development.
“Despite the slowdown in economic activity due to the covid-19 pandemic, there are remarkable amounts of new projects underway in Greater New Britain,” Chamber President Bill Moore said. “This region is seeing a lot of openings and new construction.”
The webinar will be led by directors of economic development Bill Carroll (New Britain), Chris Edge (Berlin) and Cal Hauburger (Plainville). They will discuss current projects that are underway and expected to begin this year. The directors will also review activity that occurred in 2020.
New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart will also be joining the meeting.
“There is a lot of economic activity going on in our area and despite all the negativity that we’re living in, the economic impact of some of these programs is going to be pretty significant for a lot of people, not just the buildings; leases are being signed, contracts are being driven, projects are underway there is a lot churning on the economy,” Moore said.
Moore will also be discussing the Energy and Innovation Center in New Britain.
“As we enter a new year, the chamber felt it important to take some time to consider the amount of investment taking place in the area,” Moore said. “We think attendees will have a better understanding of the types of projects that are going on in Greater New Britain, the value of the projects and how it’s going to help change the landscape of the area to a degree because of the types of work that is going to be coming in and it’s really exciting.”
The webinar will take place on Zoom and is open to all. There is no charge to attend, but pre-registration is required. Those interested in attending should send an email to: office@greaternewbritainchamber.com or call 860-229-1665.
Traffic gets mooving on new Pawcatuck River bridge
Sarah Gordon The new Boombridge Road Bridge got a hoof-ful ahead of a ceremony Wednesday to celebrate its completion.
The bridge, which connects North Stonington and Westerly over the Pawcatuck River, has been closed since 2008 and opens to the public Thursday morning. But on Wednesday, its first traffic was a herd of cows from the Beriah Lewis Farm.
"We thought this would just be a fun, creative, way to commemorate this reopening in a time of COVID-19," North Stonington First Selectman Mike Urgo said.
"This (bridge) makes every day a lot less challenging," said Ledyard Lewis, co-owner of the farm, which spans both sides of the river.
The project, which was estimated under $3 million, involved removing the existing bridge, reconstructing the approaches on both sides and then building a new bridge that stands 24 feet wide and 122 feet long.
Construction on North Harwinton Avenue a priority
Jacqueline Stoughton PLYMOUTH — Mayor David V. Merchant plans to begin the new year by kicking off a long-awaited road reconstruction project on North Harwinton Avenue.
Merchant said the town was able to secure $3 million in Local Capital Improvement grant funding from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governors for the total reconstruction of North Harwinton Avenue.
“I expect this project to go out to bid next month and construction will begin sometime this spring or summer,” Merchant said.
He noted the engineering plans are still awaiting final approval from the state Department of Transportation and the town is still working on getting property easements from neighbors, but he does not expect any delays.
Three miles of North Harwinton Avenue stretching from Seymour Road to Route 6 will be reconstructed and repaved. Some drainage work also will be done.
“This is our big project this year. That road is poor at best,” Merchant said. “This is a good-sized project.”
Another road project finishing up this year is the water main replacement on Route 6 near the Bristol line. Merchant said DOT crews have completed replacing the main, which caused traffic delays and detours from the Bristol line to the Route 72 interchange since last fall.