Category: Policy Matters
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What the PERMIT Act Means for Contractors: Faster Reviews, Fewer Delays
Washington has been busy reshaping how Clean Water Act permitting works, and for once, the changes appear aimed at reducing headaches rather than adding new ones. That’s really good news, considering that in our 2026 State of the Roadbuilding Industry contractor survey, one of the biggest concerns voiced by contractors was in regards to permitting…
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ARTBA Responds to OSHA’s Proposed Heat Safety Rule
As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues developing its proposed federal standard to address heat-related illness and injury in the workplace, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has submitted detailed written responses outlining the transportation construction industry’s perspective on how such a rule should be structured. I’ve written previously about state-level…
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Staying Ahead of PAGA Reform: How Businesses Can Strengthen Compliance and Safeguard Operations
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California is well-known for having some of the most rigorous labor requirements in the United States, especially concerning employee meal and rest breaks. These regulations have been in place for over two decades, but recent legislative changes raise the stakes for non-compliance. As of July 1, 2024, California reformed its Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA),…
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Heat Safety Rollbacks Endanger Road Crews in the Sunbelt
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in Application, Asphalt, Blacktop, Business, Compaction, Construction News, Construction Safety, Dirt Work, Featured, Infrastructure, Labor & Workforce Development, Maintenance, Milling, Pavement Maintenance, Pavement Marking & Striping, Pavement Preservation & Maintenance, Paving, Plants, Policy Matters, Production, safety, Seal Coating, Sealcoating, Striping, Top Story, WorkforceImagine if tomorrow you woke up and heard a news report stating that a few states had passed laws which ban local governments from requiring workzone barriers like cones or concrete blocks? Or what if you heard they forbid localities from requiring a flagger for road work? Your first reaction might be to fact-check the…
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What Your City Wants Paving Contractors To Know About Public Works
If you work in the blacktop industry long enough, you may eventually find yourself exploring some money making opportunities beyond the confines of the private commercial properties market. The good news is that there are usually a lot of different types of jobs that you can bid on in the public sector. While it is…
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Take Action: 2025 Asphalt Industry Survey | Asphalt.com
This short 20-question survey is part of our annual State of the Road Building Industry report, published by Asphalt Contractor magazine. Each year, we gather insight from across the country to better understand what contractors like you are facing: from workforce and materials to bidding, equipment, and policy. This year we decided to collect input…
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What the FEMA Act of 2025 Means for Road Builders: Resilience is Now the Standard
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Last year there were twenty-seven separate weather or climate related disasters which resulted in more than $1 billion in damages. A not insignificant portion of those damages were to essential roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. States hit hard by these events often expressed criticisms of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and how funds…
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The Committee For Bad looks
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Almost half of the working days the T&I Committee has spent in session for 2025 have been spent sifting through the Biden Administration’s landmark infrastructure bills (the IIJA and the IRA) to find budgetary measures that don’t conform the current Administration’s idealogical taxonomy. I say it that way, because it remains the best way I…
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Why EV Fees Won’t Save the Highway Trust Fund—And What Congress Is Ignoring
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Almost half of the working days the T&I Committee has spent in session for 2025 have been spent sifting through the Biden Administration’s landmark infrastructure bills (the IIJA and the IRA) to find budgetary measures that don’t conform the current Administration’s idealogical taxonomy. I say it that way, because it remains the best way I…
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New Legislation Targets Emissions In Asphalt And Concrete After IRA Rollbacks
In March of 2025, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced the Concrete And Asphalt Innovation Act (CAIA) as a companion to House bill H.R. 1534, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support to the tune of 350-73. Currently, it awaits further action by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee before going to…