Voters in southwest Florida went to polling places on Tuesday to nominate major party candidates in the preliminary process to replace resigned Rep. Trey Radel (R). The Ft. Myers anchored seat is safely Republican so last night's GOP primary is likely definitive in determining who will succeed the deposed Congressman.

Today, Highway and Transportation Division Chairman Tom Case of Granite Construction, along with division leaders, hosted United States Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on a conference call to hear the Secretary outline the administration’s soon-to-be released surface transportation reauthorization proposal.

District Work Period: April 14-25, 2014 Your Senators and Representatives are currently working in your home districts.  Set aside time to meet with them now through Friday, April 25 and discuss the importance federal highway funding has on your company and your job. Make an appointment to visit the District office closest to you. Bring this informational leave-behind and a company hardhat with the “Hardhats for Highways” decal affixed listing the number of jobs in your company that will be affected if funding is cut off. While these are the best times to visit, don’t hesitate to set up appointments at other times and visit with their staff.

August Shortfall Predicted This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) updated their Highway Trust Fund Ticker, where they continue to project a shortfall before the end of August.  DOT estimates that the balance will dip to $5 billion in June and could dip below $4 billion in July, possibly forcing them to delay payments to states for highway and transit projects.

Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) is now an official Senate candidate in New Hampshire.  Two public polls are currently showing a varying lead for incumbent Jeanne Shaheen (D).

Last week, the Senate failed to get cloture on S. 2199, the Paycheck Fairness Act.  This bill would have given the government greater control over how a company’s employees are paid by expanding the Equal Pay Act to limit the ability of employers to make pay decisions based on experience, local market rates, education, or other business factors. It would also threaten incentive programs, promote class action law suits, and create unlimited compensatory and punitive damages in Equal Pay Act cases. This bill would apply to all employers with two or more employees.

The Summer 2014 AGC Financial Issues Forum (FIF) will be held June 19-20 in Washington, D.C. The meeting is geared toward member company CEOs, CFOs, and other senior accounting professionals –forum attendees will have the opportunity to network and hear from tax experts and congressional representatives present on a wide variety of financial and accounting topics, including:

Register by April 24 and Save $100 With the fiscal year 2014 budget in place and the president’s fiscal year 2015 budget released, federal agencies have a better understanding of the projects coming down the pipe. Many top federal agency leaders and their colleagues will discuss their plans at the 2014 AGC Federal Contractors Conference held June 10-12 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Will you be there to hear what they say and get a jump on the competition?

This week, both the House and Senate continued to apply pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the significant expansion of its authority to regulation wetlands and wet areas under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In the Senate, all eight Republican Senators on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee sent a letter to President Barack Obama regarding federal regulation of CWA jurisdiction, which the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released in late March.

April 14-25, 2014 | www.HardhatsforHighways.org Your Senators and Representatives will be back working in your home districts starting next Monday, April 14 through Friday, April 25.  It is the perfect opportunity to set up meetings to discuss the importance federal highway funding has on your company and your job. Make an appointment to visit the District office closest to you. Bring this informational leave-behind and a company hardhat with the “Hardhats for Highways” decal affixed listing the number of jobs in your company that will be affected if funding is cut off. While these are the best times to visit, don’t hesitate to set up appointments at other times and visit with their staff members.