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HJR 14: Relating to federal and federally funded construction contracts.

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.