While the media frenzy over the FBI’s charges against shadowy financier Jeffrey Epstein are sure to bring a number of high profile associates into the spotlight, it’s already claimed its first victim in now former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. Prior to his role as the nation’s top labor guru, …
ABC Members Hold Meetings on Capitol Hill
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone ABC members from across America rolled into Washington, D.C. on June 26 for the annual Legislative Conference week, known as LegCon. With a national board meeting and other activities throughout the week, the process culminates with a day of legislative visits …
Budget Process Nearing End As Time Runs Short
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone With just days to go until the Constitutional deadline of June 30th, lawmakers in Harrisburg appear to have a spending plan for the 2019-2020 fiscal year all wrapped up. The plan calls for just short of $34 billion in spending for …
State Looks to Reform Licensure
As a companion to the mandatory budget negotiations, legislators have spent the Spring of 2019 looking at another issue dealing with the way the State regulates business. As part of a larger criminal justice effort spearheaded by a group of bipartisan legislators, occupational licensure reform has found the spotlight. Following …
Easy Out – State Budget Update
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone In almost every instance, calls for additional spending by Democrats have been met with protracted battles by legislative Republicans, guarding the coffers and protecting taxpayers. For the most part, these calls have continued even in lean years, when incoming revenues are …
Fair Contracting Gets a Boost in Keystone Region
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone For years, Lancaster and Berks Counties have led the charge in promoting free and open contracting by maintaining ordinances that prohibit the use of project labor agreements (PLAs), or pre-hire collective bargaining agreements. These agreements, which are negotiated in secret prior …
Taking ABC’s Message to Washington, D.C.
By: Douglas M. Dvorchak, 2019 Chair of the Board, ABC Keystone Associated Builders and Contractors is taking their message of Free Enterprise and Merit Shop Construction to Washington D.C. Save the date of Wednesday, June 26, to join us as Chapters from across the country descend on Capitol Hill to …
All Politics are Local
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone If even-numbered years where the Office of the President isn’t on the ballot are known as “off-year” elections, then elections in odd-numbered years are the off-off-year elections. Normal turnout in a Presidential election nationwide, while inherently lackluster, usually exceeds 50% of …
Contested Commissioners Charge Ahead
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone Every county within the Keystone region is controlled by two Republican county commissioners and one Democrat. So when there is political contention, it’s usually inter-party squabbles between factions of the Republican party. And those fissures usually are most evident in off-year …
2019’s ‘Must Watch’ Quickly Fades
By Brent Sailhamer, Director of Government Affairs, ABC Keystone Just months ago, the U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas against several members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98 for a variety of alleged offenses, including embezzlement, bribery, and theft. While many had been waiting for charges …