On Friday, February 7th, ABC NH/VT Vermont Regional Director Matt Musgrave and chair of the newly formed Vermont Construction Academy board Jon Pizzagalli descended on Montpelier to testify at Vermont’s commerce committees.  They would introduce the works of ABC NH/VT including the apprenticeship program successes and future education plans that would take place at the new Vermont Construction Academy training facility in Winooski. Jon focused his testimony on the needs of the industry and that more proactive effort was needed to make young people and people considering career changes successful. That effort to improve the outcomes for new construction workers starts with programs like Vermont Construction Academy.

In the morning, they testified in front of the Senate Economic Development, Housing and Commerce committee followed by the House Committee on Commerce in the afternoon. The committees all seemed to be impressed by the work that had been done by the private industry partners and they wanted to learn more. They also wanted to set up tours of the training facility.

You can view the committee testimony by clicking the links below:

Senate Economic Development Committee Testimony – Starts at minute 44:00

House Commerce Committee Testimony- Starts at beginning

February 11, New Hampshire Journal

New Hampshire has long prided itself on a competitive, business-friendly environment that fosters growth, innovation, and economic prosperity. However, that advantage is under threat due to government-mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which stifle fair competition in our public construction sector. That is why the Associated Builders & Contractors New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter (ABC) strongly supports Sen. Regina Birdsell’s Senate Bill 88 (SB88), legislation that ensures taxpayer-funded projects are awarded through fair and open competition.

PLAs impose restrictive conditions that often disadvantage non-union, merit shop contractors—excluding them from the negotiation process and forcing them to adhere to union-specific work rules. These agreements may require companies to recognize unions for job representation, use union hiring halls for workforce recruitment, and abide by union benefit structures.

A 2021 study by Dr. John McGowan, formerly of Saint Louis University, found that merit shop workers on PLA projects can lose up to 34 percent of their take-home pay to benefits they do not utilize. That essentially amounts to wage theft, favoring a specific segment of the industry while sidelining qualified, skilled workers who do not belong to a union.

The consequences of mandated PLAs extend beyond workers—they directly affect taxpayers. Studies indicate that PLAs can increase construction costs by as much as 20 percent compared to non-PLA projects. Reduced competition leads to inflated bids, meaning that fewer infrastructure improvements can be completed with the same budget.

Twenty-five other states have recognized this issue and enacted policies prohibiting government-mandated PLAs on public projects. It is critical that New Hampshire follow suit to prevent unnecessary cost increases and ensure our construction sector remains competitive.

SB 88 is a common-sense solution that applies solely to state-funded projects while leaving local municipalities free to make their own decisions. It does not ban the use of PLAs; rather, it prevents the state government from mandating them, allowing contractors and their workforce to make their own labor management decisions.

This stands in stark contrast to Massachusetts, where recent legislation now requires government agencies to explore PLAs for every public project—forcing many businesses and workers to relocate to states with more favorable policies, including New Hampshire. We cannot afford to follow that path.

Without the Fair and Open Competition Act, government-mandated PLAs threaten New Hampshire’s economic strength in several ways: Excluding 90 percent of New Hampshire’s 38,000 hardhats from opportunities in their own communities, replacing them with contractors from Massachusetts. Raising costs on taxpayers by increasing construction expenses by up to 20 percnt, worsening inflation and harming small businesses. Undermining local control and negotiated contracts, leading to reduced take-home pay for workers and fewer infrastructure improvements across the state.

SB 88 ensures that New Hampshire continues to benefit from an open and competitive construction market, where taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently, and all qualified contractors have an equal opportunity to bid on state-funded projects. By passing this legislation, we can protect the integrity of our public procurement process, safeguard jobs for local workers, and keep costs manageable for New Hampshire residents.

Let’s maintain the New Hampshire Advantage—support SB88 to preserve fairness, competition, and economic efficiency in our state’s public construction sector.

Vermont Government Affairs Update- February 4, 2025

On Tuesday, January 28, Governor Phil Scott addressed the Vermont people and the legislature from the floor of the House or Representatives. In his address he outlined the many differences in opinions with the way he and the former legislative supermajority believed the state should be spending taxpayer funds. He also proudly explained that we need to “fix broken systems not just fund them” when we are not happy with the results that we get from Vermonts programs such as education. His focus in the 2026 state budget will be creating affordable housing and transforming the grades PreK-12 education funding system.

This Vermont budget announcement comes on the heels of the 2025 presidential inauguration. There is fear among Vermonts legislators that Federally funded programs, or other State programs expected to end with the Trump administration which could Vermonts many nonprofits. Many of the legislators in Vermonts mostly “blue” leaning state house have been writing bills to deal with concerns related to social policies or economic policies that will impact many of their favorite initiatives and organizations. Some of those bills are/will be aimed at initiatives like universal school lunch and some will be workforce development programs.

Apart from the few “must pass” bills that go every year, some technical updated to existing laws, and some environmental law revisions there have been few bills related to employment or contractors released in the legislature so far. Most agree that in Vermont this is usually a good thing. This is quite normal at the beginning of a Vermont biennium, but rapid release of bills is expected soon.

Your team at ABC NH VT is hard at work looking for ways to promote your industry and the hard work you do, so we can get help with workforce development programs from our partners in government. There are “annual” bills related to housing, workforce and economic development that are places good ideas can be introduced by the public and even ABC NH VT that we will be working on this year.

This week be on the lookout on our social media and within our emails for links to see Matt Musgrave, Vermont Regional Director- ABC NH who will be at the state house with a special guest and first public announcement of Vermont’s newest training center for construction at the legislature.

This year marks a significant milestone for Associated Builders and Contractors NH/VT: four decades of advocating for the construction industry, supporting our members, and strengthening the trades in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Since our founding, ABC NH/VT has been dedicated to promoting the merit shop philosophy, delivering world-class training programs, and fostering a sense of community and collaboration among industry leaders. Over the past 40 years, we’ve grown into a trusted resource for contractors, builders, and tradespeople, championing innovation and excellence every step of the way.

This video celebrates the journey, the people, and the mission that have made ABC NH/VT what it is today. Thank you to our members, partners, and supporters for being part of this incredible legacy. Together, we’re building a brighter future for the industry!

Here’s to 40 years of success—and many more to come! 

 

As expected, the beginning of the 2025/2026 legislative biennium got off to a slow start, but by design. The first few days of the session organize legislative members to their respective committees, organize leadership, and behind the scenes, they are organizing their priorities. As of Friday, January 17, only 60 bills have been introduced out of a likely 1,000 bills between both the Senate and the House over the next 30 days.

The House of Representatives, unlike the Senate, elected their leader, “Speaker of the House,” prior to the beginning of the session in a member caucus, with Representative Jill Krowinski from Burlington holding on to her seat for another term. The three-person Senate “Committee on Committees,” which assigns members to committees, is composed of the Senate Pro Tem, Senate Majority Leader, and Lieutenant Governor. Because the Lieutenant Governor is not officially installed until the session begins, the Senate waits to appoint their committees and their chairs. Both chambers appoint their committees within the first week of the session.

Due to Republicans picking up seats in both the House and the Senate, it changed the composition of leadership. With no official formula, it has been precedent that there is parity between the parties’ members at large and who chairs committees. This means that Republicans picked up chair positions in both chambers.

For the first time in three bienniums, a Republican, Rep. Matt Walker of Swanton, has taken control of the House Transportation Committee as chair. Senator Brian Collamore of Rutland has taken control of the powerful Senate Government Ops Committee, which directs state employees, state contracting laws, and other governmental directives. Senator Russ Ingalls of Essex County was moved as chair from the Institutions Committee to the Agriculture Committee, which is of interest because it’s a committee that will reengage the “right to repair” bill that impacts Vermont’s heavy equipment dealers.

There were not a lot of other surprise changes to committee chairs, although it’s notable that Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, who became Senate Majority Leader, ceded her chair position of Economic Development to Senator Alison Clarkson, the previous majority leader.

The House created, or recreated, the Energy and Technology Committee, which moved some members around, including Representative Tom Stevens of Waterbury, who had been helpful with contractor needs in his prior position as chair of House General and Housing, which deals with employer/employee bills. His replacement, Representative March Mihaly, had been on the committee previously and has a moderate approach that should benefit ABC priorities.

Governor Scott gave his inaugural address and coined a term, “Legalize Housing,” which, although humorous, also sheds light on what some consider to be a moratorium on affordable housing in Vermont. Between the needs of the housing sector, emerging healthcare issues, and public safety, this session will be one to pay attention to. Your team at ABC NH/VT will be in your corner!

To participate in ABC NH/VT’s government affairs committee, please contact matt@abcnhvt.org.

Tomorrow, January 8th, will be the first day of the 2025/2026 Vermont Legislative Biennium. ABC NH/VT is prepared to work with elected officials to craft state policy to help build our workforce, build our opportunities and create an economy that is prosperous. This start date will be the latest beginning of the session due to the new year beginning halfway through the prior week. Usually the session begins as early as the 2^nd or 3^rd of January and being a new legislature the week lost is significant. Nonetheless, legislators are ready to dig in to their priorities. ABC NH/VT will report to our government affairs committee, board of directors and membership the progress we make as the session moves forward.

One of the most pressing issues we will face during the session will be how to deal with the failure to achieve the goals set out by Vermonts Global Warming Solutions Act. Act 153 written and passed by overriding a veto in 2020 intended to change Vermonts “goals” of reducing carbon emissions to slow global climate change to statutory mandates that must be followed. The policy has requirements that we reduce carbon emissions over the next 25 years reducing to 80% below our emissions from 1990. 2025 is the first check in which required we reduced emissions by 26% below 2005 levels. When the clock struck midnight on New Years Day, depending on who you speak to we have either achieved that goal, or not. Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) calculations suggest indeed we did meet the goal, but the advocacy group Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) disagrees and have threatened a lawsuit against the state to force compliance.

CLF has publicly declared that based on their calculations we have failed to meet the 2025 requirements of the act which is their first step towards a lawsuit. This is based largely on Vermonts failure to adopt the Transportation Climate Initiative, an unlikely passage of the Affordable Heat Act, and changes to Californias clean car rule handed down by the Federal government. The next step for CLF is to take Vermont to environmental court and ask that the judge impose injunctive relief forcing ANR to institute rules that could be anything to reduce carbon. It could be anything from a carbon tax to all out bans on fossil fuel usage. We don’t know yet, as a judge would need to decide first if we indeed missed the emission requirement and second what to prescribe for a remedy.

Part of Act 153 was the creation of the Vermont Climate Council which is an unelected board who will advise ANR and legislative leaders on tactics to reduce carbon. The council has been meeting regularly and since 2021 has created an annual report to the legislature with their recommendations. Those recommendations have included things like the Affordable Heat Act, adoption of Californias clean car rule and some other very draconian ways to reduce carbon on the backs of working Vermonters. The council of appointees is made up of extreme believers that Vermont should lead the way in eliminating carbon despite its cost to Vermonters.

The train that left the station in 2020 with massive unrealistic requirements to reduce carbon in Vermont is arriving this year. How will our legislative leaders deal with impending lawsuits from CLF and potentially others? We will see. The worst case will be nothing happens leaving a lawsuit and judge to create policy without the consent of voters. The best case would be that the legislators would agree to amend or eliminate the Global Warming Solutions Act all together. Elimination of the act is highly unlikely but it is likely that dates, requirements and possibly the private right to action that CLF is using to sue the state will be eliminated. Its clear that most legislators are concerned about the impacts this well intentioned policy will have on their voters. Whats scary is that some legislators believe that short term pain caused by climate fees, eliminating vehicle options and random bans will be a “good” thing even though some lower and middle income Vermonters who are struggling to deal with the other financial debacles caused by “well intentioned policy” may lose their homes.

To participate in ABC NH/VTs government affairs committee please contact matt@abcnhvt.org

Vermont Government Affairs Update December 17, 2024

In a short three weeks from today the first fall of the gavel will occur at the Vermont State House signaling the start of the 2024/2025 legislative biennium. After a wild election season with national and state political shake ups voters are anxious to see what their newly elected leaders will accomplish, or not.

The first couple weeks of the Vermont legislature are filled with ceremonial and educational traditions. Legislative committees will be assigned to members, and they will get to see where their desks will be for the next two years. The House of Representatives has 13 committees that meet each day, all day when the floor is not in session, and each has 7-10 members. The Senate has 11 committees that meet each day, but only for half the day. The Senate has only 30 members unlike the Houses 150, which requires Senators to participate in two committees to complete the workload.

The members of the legislature will also spend time in either committees or on the floor of their respective chambers taking trainings. The trainings they receive range from ethics to sexual harassment to procedural education so that everyone is on the same page though the session. In committees, the chairs spend time bringing their members up to speed on their duties and perennial issues they tackle.

The first weeks of the session are also filled with legislators seeking support on bills they are introducing. Both the House and Senate have different rules and timelines required for submitting bills usually ending mid-January. By the end of November, legislators are already working on policies with legislative council who writes the actual bills. Once the bills are written the lead sponsor of the bill seeks other legislators to “sign on” as co-sponsors of the bill. Creating a list of cosponsors can be very important in getting the committee chairs to act on their bills once they are assigned committees by the Speaker of the House.

To make a busy month even busier by mid to late January legislative study groups that met over the summer time will bring their formal reports to committees of jurisdiction for the study. This takes quite some time as the reports are generally from working groups of 5-15 volunteers from the public who report on either their contribution to the report and sometimes offer dissenting views submitted. The committees then take these reports and they either are relegated to a file cabinet or are used to influence legislation.

During this first month of the biennium the Governor is hard at work finalizing his budget request for the fiscal year. Vermonts budgeting process for everything from education to construction begins with an initial budget request from the Governor that is generally delivered mid-January to the legislature. The Governors budget request is based on reports from the different government agencies as well as other initiatives he finds important. The legislature will then use the budget as a template for their appropriation and taxation process. Eventually the legislature will pass out a budget, and the final step is the Governors approval. If the Governor does not approve of the budget it will receive a veto and the legislature will have to either override with a 2/3 majority vote or negotiate towards an agreeable outcome. This year unlike many years past the majority party does not have the votes alone to override a veto. Vermonters are at the edge of their seats to see how their votes will influence policies tied to their wallets, safety and housing.

 

On Wednesday, November 20th ABC NH/VT was invited to Governors Phil Scotts office on the “5th floor” of the Pavilion building in Montpelier, VT for his weekly press conference. Ryan Ahern, Director of Field Operations for ReArch and Ted Sheehan, Apprentice Participant at ReArch also attended the press conference to recognize apprenticeship week. Vermont Works for Women who also hosts apprenticeship programs joined in the conference.

Governor Scott started off the press conference with a speech recognizing the hard work Vermonters face in growing their workforce, but also in retaining the workforce through programs like apprenticeships. Scotts applauded that employers across the state now have over 1,500 active participants in apprenticeships and that the state would work hard to expand those opportunities and programs. The Governor pointed out that we need to continue to create pathways into professions because the average age of a worker in Vermont is 55 and we are in a demographic crisis.

Following Scott was Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner, Michael Harrington who echoed the governor’s statements and added some of his own insight. He reported on the hard work the agency was doing to improve outcomes for employers and employees while focusing on future financial investments needed to expand opportunities.

Josh Reap, CEO ABC NH/VT, stepped up next to talk about the excitement and results from apprenticeship programs including some of the benefits of careers in construction. Reap pointed out that growing the construction trade was one of the methods that Vermonters could use to solve the existing housing crisis by, “building our way out of it”. He also pointed out that the average age of a construction worker in Vermont was 60 years old and we are in full crisis mode in need of growth which is why ABC NH/VT and its members were active in creating more opportunities.

Ryan Ahern, Director of Field Operations for ReArch went next with a passionate speech declaring that ReArch would continue to grow, train and recruit as much as possible to meet the community needs. He said, “We are going to bring dignity back to the trades” which is a much-needed message for young people and people who may not be served well by their current employment situations. Ahern shared his experience of learning the basics and hard work that he and ReArch seek to share with others. His tone was clear and the message was that we have our work cut out for us.

Closing the show was Ted Sheehan, a recent graduate of the ABC NH/VT Carpentry Apprenticeship and ReArch builder. Sheehan shared his experience which started with a four-year college route but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. He said he learned about ReArch and the opportunities to grow there and the support they shared. He explained how the apprenticeship program helped him earn a good living while at the same time improving his skills and experience in the industry. Sheehan said he appreciated both ReArch and ABC NH/VT for their partnership in the program that has helped him reach personal success.

Vermont Government Affairs Update November 19, 2024

On Tuesday, November 12^th, 2024, Vermont Secretary of State, Sarah Copeland Hanzas, certified the election results from the prior week’s election which point to a changing trajectory in Vermont.

Hanzas, while certifying her own reelection, was one of the six statewide candidates who won reelection.  Our Congressional delegation will remain the same as Vermonters sent Representative Becca Balint and Senator Bernie Sanders back to Washington DC. State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Auditor Doug Hoffer and Governor Phil Scott also sailed into easy reelection.

The only surprise in the statewide candidate races was the Lieutenant Governor race which had Republican John Rogers of Orleans County beat incumbent Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman. The race which Rogers won by only 6,000 votes represented the real shift in Vermont politics showing a resounding opposition to progressive policies and wild state spending. This race is likely to put an end to Zuckerman’s chances to run for governor in the future and the opposite for Rogers.

Governor Scott successfully spent most of the campaign season promoting 6 Senate districts Republicans were trying to win. 3 of the seats up for grabs were open due to retirements and Republicans won in Grand Isle, Orleans and Caledonia Counties. 3 seats were lost by Democrat incumbents in Addison, Orange and North Chittenden Counties to Republicans. Those seats including ones where Republican incumbents won gives Governor Scott the ability to have vetoes sustained by his party where he had not been able to during the Democrat supermajority. With the new Senate things will change, particularly because 3 major committee chair positions have opened in Transportation, Appropriations and Energy and Environment. Whoever takes over those chairs will drive Vermont policy for the near future.

The House followed the same trend as the Senate with Republicans flipping many seats from Democrats. The seats that were flipped were in traditionally conservative districts except for one. Representative Diane Lanphear of Vergennes, a very liberal district, lost her seat to a Republican. Lanphear was the chair of the powerful Appropriations committee and a long-time party stalwart. Another chair that was not reelected was Representative Mike McCarthy of St Albans who was a moderate Democrat in a conservative county. House leadership in the Democratic Party has taken note of the voters actions and we will likely see them attempt to cure Vermonters concerns with fiscal policy and public safety which were the two top priorities in Vermonters polled through the campaign season.

What does all this change mean for Vermonters and contractors? The voters spoke and their message to politicians was to spend less, protect our citizens and build housing. The reelection of Governor Phil Scott and end of the supermajority will require Democrats and Republicans to work towards more common-sense goals that align with Vermonters desires and slow the spending on non-critical projects. It creates an opportunity for housing advocates to push real change in development law and workforce advocates to get funding and attention where they had not in the past.

ABC NH/VT will be there working for its members and the community as a whole. We have begun our 2025 Government and Legislative Affairs Committee to gain a focus on our goals and would be happy if more would join us. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Matt Musgrave (matt@abcnhvt.org) or Josh Reap (josh@abcnhvt.org).

Today is Election Day! As we cast our votes, we also turn our attention to the rapidly approaching 2025 legislative session in January. The drop of the gavel always seems to come quicker than some would expect or enjoy. In the months leading up to the opening of the state house, legislative and administrative study committees have been racing to complete their reports and, more importantly, their recommendations in time for the incoming legislature. ABC has been tracking several of those studies that may have significant impacts on contractors.

Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation has released a report detailing its recommendations for reducing and eliminating PFAS, or “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances,” from consumer products. These man-made chemicals are resistant to heat, water, oil, and grease, and are found in products such as carpets, clothing, cookware, food packaging, firefighting foams, paints, cleaning products, microelectronics, batteries, and medical equipment. Commonly called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are suspected carcinogens linked to various illnesses, including cancer and other serious diseases. Vermont took notice of PFAS contamination after groundwater near a dry-cleaning chemical company was discovered to be contaminated several years ago. The report focuses primarily on intentional additions to consumer products. While there are many exemptions to the rulemaking process, it remains unclear how items like personal protective equipment or construction materials might be impacted. Once reviewed by the legislature, a bill may follow that incorporates some or all of the report’s recommendations. ABC will monitor this process closely to ensure contractors’ concerns are addressed before any potential legislation is passed.

The Department of Public Service is leading a study group on whether Vermont should adopt recognized residential building codes and designate the Department of Fire and Safety (DFS) as the “Authority Having Jurisdiction” (AHJ) for single-family homes, which it does not currently regulate. This is a continuation of last year's study group that recommended significant changes to Vermont law to improve compliance with the Residential Building Energy Standards (RBES). The study group, which includes energy nonprofits, home builders, commercial builders, architects, and state agencies, has been meeting throughout the summer. The results appear to align with the previous report, highlighting the ongoing division in opinions on how to achieve RBES compliance and whether to designate DFS as the AHJ. The report is likely to reiterate prior suggestions, detailing various paths forward and noting dissenting views on each. It will then be up to the legislature to decide which policies to pursue. Limited state resources may restrict the scope of changes, though adopting a recognized building code without statewide enforcement could be a next step.

The Public Utility Commission has presented a plan to adopt the Affordable Heat Act (also known as the Clean Heat Standard) in Vermont. This plan would require registered heating fuel dealers to reduce the fossil fuels they sell by incentivizing alternatives like electric heat pumps or other efficiencies. If a dealer is unable to meet these requirements, they would pay a fee (“credit”) to an entity that could reduce or incentivize reduced usage, with this cost likely passed on to customers. Current estimates suggest the policy could add a substantial tax of 70 cents or more per gallon of fuel. The proposed plan, which would cost tens of millions of dollars paid by Vermonters, is now in the public comment period before it is presented to the legislature in January. Even the Public Utility Commission has acknowledged that the associated costs should prompt legislators to consider less expensive alternatives.

These are just a few of the topics ABC NH/VT will be tracking in the Vermont legislature, and we’ll keep you informed every step of the way. If you have questions or are interested in participating in ABC NH/VT’s government advocacy committee, please contact matt@abcnhvt.org.