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Saturday, January 29 Holmen American Legion Music|Games|Food|Fun|Raffle Please donate wine/beer/spirits for our Bottle Pull fundraiser. For each item you donate (min. $10 value each) you will be entered to win a $50 gift card! Bring to December GMM or to the LABA office. We are also need items for the bucket raffle and/or silent auction. Please bring your items, gift baskets, gift cards, etc. to the LABA office by January 21. Cabin Fever is free and open to the public, so please bring all your family and friends for a fun night out to help raise money for our Tools for Schools program!
Executive Officer Resources — Wisconsin Builders Association (wisbuild.org)
Gov. Evers Vetoes GOP Redistricting Plan As promised, Governor Tony Evers recently vetoed the republican legislature’s plan to reapportion state assembly and state senate districts. Evers also vetoed a GOP plan to reapportion Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts. A press release from Governor Evers stated, “The legislative and congressional maps drafted and passed by Republicans in the Legislature are largely based on the current maps Republicans drew a decade ago that have been called some of the most gerrymandered maps in the country. The new maps vetoed today, which have been described as even more gerrymandered than the existing maps, all but ensure Republicans will preserve their undemocratic majorities in the Legislature while increasing Republicans’ chances of disproportionately winning six of Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts." Next up in court, likely either the Wisconsin Supreme Court or a federal court will decide on the lines of legislative districts that will be used for the August primary and November general elections in 2022. Bill to Extend Permits Signed into Law In October, Governor Evers signed 2021 Senate Bill 254 into law to become 2021 Wisconsin Act 80. The act creates a new provision that allows a person who has received a covered approval to obtain an automatic extension of that approval for 36 months, plus the duration of the administrative, judicial, or appellate proceedings to which the approval is subject. This provision first applies to a covered approval that is subject to a pending administrative, judicial, or appellate proceeding on October 18, 2021. For the development and construction industry, 2021 Wisconsin Act 80 would apply specifically to permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Department of Natural Resources. Tax Break for Apprenticeship Expenses Passed Governor Evers is currently reviewing a bill that was recently passed by both houses of the legislature to provide a tax break for tuition payments made by an individual in an apprenticeship program. Senate Bill 125 (SB 125) allows an individual, when calculating income for state income tax purposes, to subtract the tuition expenses paid by the individual for the individual or the individual's dependent to participate in an apprenticeship program that is approved by the Department of Workforce Development. The deduction would first apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020. When SB 125 was first introduced in February, there were several republicans and democrats who signed onto the bill as coauthors. After an initial bipartisan list of sponsors, all four democrats and one republican who initially signed on as coauthors of the bill removed their name from the bill by late October. Groups representing unions are opposed to the bill and groups like WBA and ABC who represent construction and business interests are generally supportive of the bill. Bill to Allow for “Stretch Codes” Introduced In mid-November, a group of democrats introduced a bill that would allow local municipalities to create and require a commercial building code and a single family (UDC) code that would exceed the statewide code, also know as a “stretch code”. If passed, this plan would negate the current statewide uniformity of the commercial building code and the uniform dwelling code. The bill requires the stretch energy code working group (established at the Department of Safety and Professional Services) to establish the stretch energy code, which must have separate components for commercial and residential buildings and must establish minimum energy efficiency requirements that may exceed the requirements of the energy conservation code. The bill provides that any county, city, village, or town may by ordinance, adopt the residential or commercial components of the stretch energy code, or both, and make the adopted requirements of the stretch energy code applicable within the county, city, village, or town. WBA has always advocated against any measure before the legislature that takes away the uniformity of the UDC and the commercial building code, and will be registering in opposition of this bill once formally introduced.
Advocacy Digest | Brad Boycks, Executive Director
Member Benefits
Use the WBA Builders Direct Fund to support your candidate and support Building a Better Wisconsin PAC. Make a personal individual contribution to the Builders Direct Fund Conduit to support a candidate for governor, attorney general, state senate, or state assembly by using a personal, individual or single member LLC credit card. BuildersDirectFund.com
The WBA Legal Hotline is a service provided to you FREE as part of your membership and is only a phone call away! Find out more at wisbuild.org WBA legal resource center is available exclusively for members sponsored through Axley Brynelson, LLP
The WBA Foundation offers online continuing education credits for holders of Wisconsin's Dwelling Contractor credentials through its partnership with Slipstream and the B4 Conference. These courses are designed to fulfill Wisconsin's continuing education requirements for dwelling contractors (12 credit hours every two years), and are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services (DSPS). Check out the link here: https://www.wisbuild.org/online-courses-preview
workforce development
Meeting your financial goals requires making a plan - and sticking to it. Please contact Sheri Plantz with Edward Jones Investments at 788-6460 or CLICK HERE Avalon Design Group is offering a 50% discount to all Builders for any/all Parade of Homes projects that utilize their Design/Drafting Services. Contact Tim at 319-213-5633 for more information. Unlimited travel discounts from Snazzy Traveler! You must be an active member of record or an affiliate member with WBA and you will receive a free Snazzy Traveler membership (valued at $99). No black out dates or restrictions. Sign up today at www.wisbuild.org Free Reclaimed Wood Headboard w/ Purchase of Wood Flooring or Wall Treatments- Contact Larry at Used Anew LLC e:larry@usedanew.com p: (608) 487-0547 http://www.usedanew.com 4 Rooms FREE with Advanced Multimedia Solutions ~ Whole house audio pre-wire for LABA member contractors. Contact for scheduling 608-783-0949 or sales@AMSAudioVideo.com. To be eligible for the General Motors $500 discount, you must be the active member of record or an affiliate member with NAHB. If you would like to verify your status or add additional memberships for your business, please contact Tena at the LABA office. Do you have a discount program exclusively for LABA Members? Get your message out to members FREE in the Floorplan and/or at www.labaonline.com! Contact Tena at 608-781-5242 or tena@labaonline.com
Looking for a sweet deal? Member-to-Member Offers
Do you have interest in participating in the Wisconsin Builders Association (WBA)? Do you want to learn more about the WBA? Have you always wanted to be more involved with what is happening in the state of Wisconsin? If yes, then we are looking for you! The state association, WBA, has a board of directors that meets three times a year (one of those meetings is typically virtual). We try to ride share when we can and the meetings are central for all in the state (Stevens Point and WI Dells). LABA is allowed three directors and we are wondering if anyone is interested in joining the WBA board of directors for 2022. Please let us know if you are interested by Tuesday, December 7. EO@labaonline.com.
Thank you to Greg's Family for designating memorial gifts to Tools for Schools!
In memory Former LABA Member LARRY BART PETERS July 7, 1965 — November 17, 2021 Our condolences to Larry's family and friends.
read more at nahb.org
President Signs Infrastructure Bill President Biden on Nov. 15 signed into law a bipartisan, $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The bill includes a key measure championed by NAHB that will restore an exemption for water and sewer contributions in aid of construction. NAHB supported the bill, which will fund much-need improvements to the nation’s roads, bridges and public transportation. The measure advances efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without excessive energy code mandates.
NAHB Challenges OSHA Vaccine Rule NAHB in November filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit asking the court to examine OSHA’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring companies with more than 100 employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing. There are also many other legal challenges across the United States. NAHB believes that OSHA does not have the authority to issue an ETS on this matter. But barring a long-lasting injunction, employers will have to comply with many parts of the rule by Dec. 6.
Commerce to Double Tariffs on Lumber In a blow to housing affordability and a move strongly opposed by NAHB, the Commerce Department in November moved forward with its next administrative review to double the tariffs on Canadian lumber shipments into the U.S. from 9% to 17.9%. “With the nation in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, the Biden administration has moved to slap a huge, unwanted tax hike on American home buyers and renters by doubling the tariffs on Canadian lumber shipments into the U.S.,” NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said in a statement.
Materials Prices Climbing The price of all goods inputs to residential construction (including energy) has risen 14.5% thus far in 2021, eight times more than it did over the first 10 months of last year. The year-to-date increase is twice that of the previous record year-to-date October increase (+7.1% in 2008). The PPI for softwood lumber increased 9.1% in October. Gypsum product prices are up 19.0% YTD, by far the largest October YTD increase since seasonally adjusted data became available in 2012. And over the 80-year period ending in 2020, the monthly change in the steel mill products PPI increased by more than 10% only three times (in 1947, 1948, and 2008). Monthly increases have exceeded that mark four times in 2021.