For the Week Ending November 10, 2000
This weekly report is written by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Government Relations staff. If you have questions or comments about any items in this report, please contact Brian Pallasch, Michael Charles, Martin Hight, Austin Fulk, or Liz Hermsen by e-mail or at 202/789-2200.
Inside This Week:
REPUBLICANS RETAIN CONTROL OF U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE
While the nation watches for the results of the presidential race, the results in a handful of congressional races across the country may be equally close. Election officials are busy examining results in five close races in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington.
The most fiercely contested House race is in central New Jersey, where Representative Rush Holt (D) emerged election night with a 56-vote lead over former Representative Dick Zimmer (R). As of November 10, the U.S. House of Representatives-elect split is 220 Republicans, 211 Democrats, two Independents, and two races undecided. However, results in two or three other races are still shaky.
In the Washington state Senate race, incumbent Slade Gorton (R) had a 5,691-vote lead over Democrat Maria Cantwell -- out of more than 1.77 million votes counted. However, officials are still tabulating more than 625,000 absentee ballots, which could take weeks. Currently, the U.S. Senate-elect split stands at 50 Republicans, 49 Democrats and one race undecided. A Cantwell win would tie the Senate to 50-50. Yet, Republicans will still retain control of the Senate. If Republican presidential candidates George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were to win the election, Cheney would break any ties in the Senate. If Democratic candidates Al Gore and Joe Lieberman were to win the presidential election, Lieberman would have to give up his Senate seat, which would then be filled by a Republican appointed by Republican Connecticut Governor John Rowland.
Committee Chairs will change somewhat in both the House of Representatives and Senate. The probable Chairs for pertinent House and Senate Committees are:
- House Resources Committee - James Hansen (R-UT)
- House Science Committee - Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
- House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee - Don Young (R-AK)
- Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee - current Chair Frank Murkowski (R-AK)
- Senate Environment & Public Works Committee - Bob Smith (R-NH)
OSHA ERGONOMICS RULE UNDER OMB REVIEW
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) controversial ergonomics rule is now under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Several sources within the White House have predicted that the proposed rule will get a fast review and be published as a final rule around November 17.
Efforts in Congress to delay or invalidate the rule have been unsuccessful. Republicans attempted to prevent funding of the rule for one year while Democrats and the White House sought a compromise to delay implementation until June 2001. This would permit the new Congress and Administration to review the rule.
ASCE has expressed concern over the cost and impact of the proposed rule.
RESULTS OF STATE-LEVEL ELECTIONS
ASCE has been following state and local issues around the country. The following are the results of a number of races of interest to civil engineers. For more information on the following results, or any other state government relations matters, please contact Austin Fulk, ASCE's Manager of State Government Relations, at (202) 789-2200 or via e-mail at afulk@asce.org.
State Ballot Initiatives
Over the past several issues of This Week in Washington, a number of state ballot initiatives have been mentioned that relate to civil engineering issues and could affect civil engineers. Following is a wrap-up of these initiatives:
Arizona
Proposition 202, which would have severely restricted development in the state, was defeated with almost 70 percent of voters opposing it.
California
Proposition 35, the provision to allow the state to contract out engineering and other design work, passed with a margin of 55 percent.
Proposition 39, which lowers the percentage of voters needed to authorize the issuance of school bonds by a municipality from two-thirds to 55 percent, passed with just over 53 percent of the vote.
San Francisco voters widely rejected pro-slow growth Proposition K, backed by Mayor Willie Brown, while narrowly approving Proposition L, a more restrictive slow-growth measure.
Colorado
Both Amendment 21, which would mandate a $25 reduction per tax bill in a variety of taxes, and Amendment 24, which would greatly restrict development in the state, were rejected by voters by around a two to one margin.
Florida
Voters approved a proposed high-speed rail system linking the state's five largest metropolitan areas by a narrow margin of 52 to 48 percent.
Massachusetts
Question 4, which would cut the state's income tax rates from 5.95 percent to 5 percent over three years, was approved by 57 percent of the voters.
Question 6, to require the state to use tax credits to reimburse commuters 100 percent for the cost to them of tolls and automobile excise taxes paid annually, failed with 59 percent of voters opposing it.
New Jersey
A ballot initiative asking whether to dedicate all tax proceeds from sales of petroleum and auto sales to the state's transportation fund for highway and transit capital projects passed with 62 percent of the vote. Funding will increase by an estimated $1 billion over the next four years.
New York
A $3.8 billion bond proposal was narrowly defeated by voters by a 51 to 49 percent margin. The measure was approved by New York City voters by a 27 to 28 percent margin, but rejected by 64 percent of the state's other voters.
Oregon
Voters approved Measure 7, which requires the state to compensate property owners for state regulatory actions that reduce a property owner's land value, was approved by 54 percent of the state's voters. Currently, compensation is only required when the state actually takes an owner's property.
Ohio
State Issue #1, a bond authorization for up to $400 million for brownfields redevelopment and conservation of open space and farmlands, passed with 57 percent of the vote.
Rhode Island
Question 1, to authorize the issuance of $34 million in state bonds for land purchases to help preserve open space, turned out to be extremely popular, garnering nearly 75 percent of the vote.
South Carolina
Voters in Charleston County appear to have narrowly rejected Question 1, a proposal to raise a local sales tax by one-half cent to fund roads and transit. As of Friday, November 10, the initiative was trailing by fewer than 1,000 votes out of over 63,000 votes cast with a recount underway.
Washington
Initiative 745 to require the state to spend 90 percent of its transportation funds on road projects was defeated, with 58 percent of voters rejecting it.
State Offices
On the state government front, there were few changes. Before the election, Democrats controlled the legislatures of 19 states, Republicans controlled 17, and 13 others were under divided control, with one (Nebraska) a non-partisan unicameral body. Following the elections, control is now split 16-16 between Democrats and Republicans, with 15 split and two (Washington and Oregon) undecided as of Friday, November 10. Notable changes include Democrats taking control of the Colorado Senate, for the first time in 40 years, and achieving a 15-15 tie in the Arizona Senate. Republicans took control of the Vermont House, went from a tie to control in the Pennsylvania House and New Hampshire Senate, and achieved ties from minority status in the South Carolina and Maine Senates. Missouri's Senate is also now controlled by Republicans 16-15, but there are three vacancies as a result of Senators winning other offices.
