00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14                                                                     
01 Relating to federal and federally funded construction contracts.                                                        
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS Alaskans have the right to expect that their government will not only be a                              
04 good steward of taxpayer money but will also promote the economical, nondiscriminatory,                                 
05 and efficient completion of construction projects; and                                                                  
06       WHEREAS the promotion of competition and equal access to federal government                                     
07 construction contracts will reduce construction costs to the state and to taxpayers and expand                          
08 job opportunities, especially for small and disadvantaged businesses; and                                               
09       WHEREAS construction work should be awarded to and performed by persons who                                     
10 are selected on the basis of merit through open competition, without favoritism to special                              
11 interest groups; and                                                                                                    
12       WHEREAS project labor agreements do not ensure that projects are completed on                                   
13 time and on budget and are not necessary for large, complex construction jobs; and                                      
14       WHEREAS project labor agreements reduce employment opportunities for Alaskans                                   
15 in the construction industry; and                                                                                       
16       WHEREAS Executive Order 13202 was signed by former President George W. Bush                                     

01 in 2001 to establish government neutrality toward federal government contractors' labor                                 
02 relations on federal and federally funded construction projects; and                                                    
03       WHEREAS Executive Order 13202 is careful to state that it does not prohibit                                     
04 contractors from voluntarily entering into agreements with labor organizations on                                       
05 construction projects;                                                                                                  
06       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the President                               
07 of the United States to preserve Executive Order 13202 to ensure free and open competition                              
08 for federal and federally funded construction contracts; and be it                                                      
09       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the                                       
10 President of the United States and the United States Congress not to                                                    
11            (1)  require bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or                              
12 adhere to, or prohibit them from entering into or adhering to, agreements with labor                                    
13 organizations on federal or federally funded construction projects; or                                                  
14            (2)  discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors for                              
15 becoming, refusing to become, or remaining signatories of, or otherwise adhering to,                                    
16 agreements with labor organizations on federal or federally funded construction projects.                               
17       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of                             
18 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and                          
19 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate;                             
20 the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy                                  
21 Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable John Boehner, Minority                              
22 Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff; the                              
23 Honorable Peter R. Orszag, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget; and the                                
24 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the                                          
25 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.