Bid Preference Bill Advances this Week
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010Blog: Competitive Edge
An AGC of Kentucky supported bill SB-45 (Tapp R-Shelbyville) to give reciprocal bid preferences to Kentucky contractors on state projects when bidding against contractors from states with similar bid preferences and to promote "best value" bidding passed the State Senate Local Government Committee as a committee substitute this week 12-0. AGC of Kentucky would like to thank Senator Gary Tapp for sponsoring the legislation and thank each of the committee members who voted Yes to support the proposal. Following passage of the committee substitute a technical error in the definition of a "resident bidder" was discovered and a floor amendment is currently being drafted by AGC of Kentucky at the request of the sponsor in order to improve the legislation. The bill has received two succesfull readings and will likely be voted upon by the full Senate next week with our proposed floor amendment attached.
Action Alert:
AGC members are encouraged to call the toll free Legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181 and urge your state Senator to support SB-45, the Kentucky Contractors Resident Bidder Preference Bill with Floor Amendment next week. Nuclear power proposal gets Senate approval A statewide moratorium on nuclear energy plant construction would end under legislation passed the Senate 27-10 earlier this week. Senate Bill 26, sponsored by Sen. Bob Leeper, I-Paducah, would allow new nuclear power plants in Kentucky to be constructed if the facility's plan for storing the high-level waste conformed to federal guidelines. Current law mandates a plan for waste disposal, in effect a ban because no disposal site has yet been approved anywhere in the United States.
Our Clean Diesel in Kentucky Construction Tax Credit Legislation Coming Soon
AGC of Kentucky is working with Rep. Don Pasley (D-Winchester) to potentially sponsor and draft legislation providing a tax credit for construction companies who repower or retrofit off road diesel engines. We have also had initial meetings this week with representatives from the Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and the Kentucky Conservation Committee.
Diesel emission reductions represent one of the most important opportunities to achieve rapid and cost-effective health and environmental benefits. In 2009 AGC of Kentucky received a $2 million grant to fund voluntary diesel emission reductions for the Clean Diesel in Kentucky Construction Program. We were the only statewide AGC Chapter to successfully compete for the grant monies in a very competitive process which saw more than 100 organizations apply for the grant through the South East Diesel Collaborative in EPA Region 4.
This legislative initiative, which will likely be introduced next week will benefit current and future AGC of Kentucky members who are participating in the grant program as well as, incent other Kentucky construction companies to voluntarily reduce diesel engine emissions with the goal to improving the health and air quality for all Kentuckians. Our legislative proposal is modeled after an Oregon statute which passed successfully in 2007.
During the 2010 session your AGC of Kentucky Government Affairs Team will track nearly 1,000 bills, resolutions and amendments which may impact our members interests and we will continue to provide the best legislative representation for the commercial construction industry in the Commonwealth. To view the most important bills we are lobbying see below.
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