On January 16, 2013, Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway of Baltimore City introduced Senate Bill 140 (“SB140”), which seeks to lower the amount of retention that a public body can withhold from a contractor when the contractor has furnished a payment and performance bond…
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According to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the construction sector added 30,000 jobs in the month of December 2012, which marks the largest monthly increase in nearly two years, and is reportedly due to growth in private sector demand. The…
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Many lobbying groups and construction industry firms are displeased with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. However, some companies that design and build in the health-care sector are feeling more optimistic. Hamilton Espinosa, national health-care group leader for DPR…
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On May 23, 2012, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved an additional $187,500,000 in funding for school construction projects in the next fiscal year. This additional funding increases the total figure for Fiscal Year 2013 to $349,167,088, which is more than $85,000,000 that was…
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According to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), construction materials prices spiked in the month of March. As a result, construction firms have to pay more for key materials, which creates more problems for contractors as the demand for construction…
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On Monday, November 21, 2011, President Obama signed the “3 Percent Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act of 2011” (H.R. 674) into law. By signing this bill, the 3 percent withholding provision on government contractors has been permanently repealed. The bill also offers tax incentives…
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On Thursday, November 10, 2011, the Senate voted (95-0) to repeal the 3 percent withholding rule. If signed into law, the legislation would repeal the current requirement that governments at all levels withhold 3 percent of payments to contractors. The legislation would also scale back…
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The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland recently issued an opinion that will likely have a major impact on councils of condominium unit owners, developers and contractors. In Greenstein v. Council of Unit Owners of Avalon Court Six Condominium, Inc., No. 485, Sept. Term 2009 (September…
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The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday, October 27, 2011 to repeal the requirement that governments at all levels withhold 3 percent of payments to government contractors. The bill, numbered HR 674, passed on a 405-15 bipartisan vote. The 3 percent withholding rule was…
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A recent analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America shows construction employment has increased in 136 out of 337 metropolitan areas in the U.S. between July 2010 and July 2011. However, construction employment has declined in 148 areas and…
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