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Report: Presidential veto a possibility for next highway patch
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx indicated President Obama might veto a Highway Trust Fund patch if Congress passes one before the July 31 expiration of federal transportation funding. According to The Hill, Foxx said Obama plans to wait and see what Congress produces ahead of the end-of-month deadline. Foxx added that Obama's patience is wearing thin with the extensive number of temporary funding extensions Congress has passed in recent years. "I think we're quickly getting to the point where the value of another extension may be less than the value of breaking the cycle," Foxx said. According to The Hill, Foxx also said the temporary road-funding patches lawmakers have passed in recent years are preventing states from completing construction projects. "The system is falling apart," Foxx said. "I will tell you that at current funding levels and with the spate of short-term extensions we've had, we're damaging the system." According to The Hill, Obama has ultimately signed previous temporary highway extension to avoid interruptions in road and transit project spending. Still,… Keep Reading
Senate bill would boost business with tax break on equipment, property
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., introduced legislation to amend the U.S. tax code and make permanent a 50 percent depreciation bonus on new equipment and property purchases. The tax break previously expired. According to a press release, the bill would allow businesses to deduct half the cost of new purchases immediately. The idea behind the legislation is to free up money for reinvestment and help businesspeople like propane retailers grow. "This legislation will provide much-needed certainty in the tax code so businesses can better plan investments that create more jobs and growth in our communities," Roberts says of his bill, S. 1660. "Bonus depreciation has been extended and expired many times, and it is time we make this permanent to give businesses more predictability in an already overly complex tax code." Bonus depreciation was first enacted in 2002, but its benefits to the business community haven’t remained consistent, according to Roberts. More generous depreciation deductions reduce the after-tax cost of investing, encouraging higher levels of investment spending by businesses. According to… Keep Reading
Old meets new: Custom fabrication
A pair of crushers are repositioned with a heavy-duty screen in a custom-fabrication job that’s providing productivity and portability. Keith Hagedorn had a unique set of characteristics in mind as he pursued a new screen for his contract-crushing company last winter. Hagedorn wanted a heavy-duty screen that could handle as many tons of rock as possible. He also wanted a screen that offered the ability to start and finish jobs faster. The desire for these screening characteristics ultimately drove Hagedorn to MAB Equipment’s Mark Blanchflower, who introduced Hagedorn and his two sons to a potential option. “My son and I were looking on the Internet and he found that the Deister [Machine Co.] screener was a lot more heavy-duty built,” says Hagedorn, owner of Keith Hagedorn Construction in Spirit Lake, Iowa. “Something that will last a long time is important to me. There’s always a fine line between portable equipment and heavy-duty, but the Deister screen was heavier-duty than everything.” Screen capacity was an important factor for Hagedorn Construction, as… Keep Reading
Metric provides another reason for long-term funding solution
A Federal Highway Administration report (FHWA) provides new leverage for the passage of a long-term highway bill. In its latest monthly “Traffic Volume Trends” report, which was released near the end of June, FHWA says Americans have driven a record 3.07 trillion miles over the last 12 months. Vehicle miles traveled in the United States were up 3.9 percent in April, compared to April 2014, according to FHWA. According to FHWA, vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. continue to climb and are on pace for a record-setting year. The latest report also shows that vehicle miles traveled have increased 36 percent since 1993, when the federal gas tax was last adjusted. Keep Reading
Federal funding pitfall prompts states to increase gas taxes
Six states will increase their gas taxes July 1 as a means to replace lacking federal funds for highway projects, according to the Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). The Hill reports that Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Vermont plan to increase their respective gas taxes between 0.35 cents and 7 cents per gallon. The additional money will be collected in addition to the existing federal gas tax all drivers in the United States are currently charged. "These increases will fund infrastructure improvements that directly benefit drivers and other travelers – an especially important step at a time when Congress’ commitment to adequately funding infrastructure remains highly uncertain," writes Carl Davis, ITEP research director, in a blog post. Idaho is raising its gas tax the most at 7 cents per gallon. Georgia's gas tax is going up the second most at 6.7 cents per gallon. Vermont's gas tax increase is the smallest at 0.35 cents, according to ITEP. California is also… Keep Reading
Mummy found at Indiana quarry
Land surveyors working at a planned quarry site near Lowell, Ind., stumbled onto a mummified body that archaeologists say could be thousands of years old. According to the Chicago Tribune, the mummified body was discovered June 26. The discovery halted Singleton Stone LLC's site prep activities, as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources stepped in to explore the grounds. "If it is determined this is any type of sacred ground, there are many avenues they will need to follow – many, many steps after today," says Terri Millefoglie, whom the Chicago Tribune identifies as a conservation officer. Millefoglie adds that laws regarding potential Native American sites brought the site's preparation to a stop. A local sheriff told the Chicago Tribune that archaeologists believe the mummified body ranges from 500 to 2,000 years old. "They are thinking from discussions out there it may have been an Indian burial ground," says John Buncich, a Lake County (Ind.) sheriff. Keep Reading
MSHA to award mine safety-training grants
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) made $1 million in grants available for training or training materials to support mine rescue or mine emergency preparedness in underground mines. According to a press release, MSHA will evaluate applications and then award Brookwood-Sago mine safety grants in individual grants of at least $50,000 and up to $250,000. To be eligible, applicants must be a public or private nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization. Interested parties must submit their applications electronically at www.grants.gov by Aug. 29, 2015. Keep Reading
Firm scales back 2015 construction outlook
Construction activities are expected to grow at 5 percent this year, FMI Corp. reports, leveling off from a previous forecast of 8 percent that the firm produced. Although the new prediction is significantly lower than last quarter, FMI reports that the rate is still the highest total for construction put in place since 2008. “Construction spending continues to build on the rapid growth experienced in the industry last year,” says Chris Daum, senior managing director and president of Investment Banking at FMI. The report provides forecasts for 17 sectors across residential, non-residential and non-building groups. Areas with strong growth forecasted are residential, manufacturing, commercial, amusement and recreation, office, lodging and transportation. The sector with the highest growth prospect is manufacturing, FMI reports. FMI expects another 17 percent growth for 2015 in that sector after seeing 15 percent growth in manufacturing construction in 2014. Manufacturing continues to show gains in construction activity despite several factors that point to slower growth for 2016 through the forecast horizon of 2019, the firm adds.… Keep Reading
Multiyear highway bill emerges
The Senate introduced a six-year, $275 billion bill to fund the federal government's highway program. The bill, called the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, appropriates nearly $43 billion per year for transportation spending, The Hill reports. “Our nation’s roads and highways have suffered under too many short-term extensions, which have led to higher costs, more waste and less capability to prioritize major modernization projects to address growing demands on our interstates," says Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who is sponsoring the bill with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. David Vitter (R-La.). "The DRIVE Act will provide states and local communities with the certainty they deserve to plan and construct infrastructure projects efficiently." According to The Hill, the bill's sponsors say they are deferring to appropriators in the Senate on how the multiyear transportation bill should be financed. “The clock is ticking, and action in the [Senate Environment and Public Works] Committee is a major first step," Boxer says. "The other… Keep Reading
