Government Relations

CLICK HERE FOR ASCE REGION 9 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

To learn more about our Government Relations Committee, please read the attached policies and procedures in the committee files section of this page. If you are interested in participating in this committee, please contact [email protected].

See Related News below for more details about recent Government Relations Committee activities.

Member Resources

2022 National Legislative Fly-In

ASCE’s delegation of 225 members from 48 states flew into Washington DC to attend the 2022 Legislative Fly-in on March 2-3. The delegates included 21 people from California’s Region 9, where our team got the opportunity to discuss current legislative issues, the omnibus budget bill to get IIJA moving, how the legislature should incentivize agencies to spend money from IIJA, several additional acts to authorize funding, and rejecting the gas tax holiday bill currently sitting in the Senate.

The team was able to talk with people around the country to hear about engineering trends that are impacted by their legislatures, and hear how leadership in Washington is working on improving infrastructure and “Building Back Better.” Speakers included ASCE president Dennis Truax, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, and Dr. Geraldine Richmond (Undersecretary for the Department of Energy).

After all of the briefing and learning about the government’s impact on infrastructure, it was time to get to work. ASCE’s Region 9 met with Senator Alex Padilla and ten of California’s Representatives to discuss these issues and provide information to help the legislature staff make informed decisions. In the end, our team learned that messaging backed with data from a legislature’s constituents is the best way to impact and make a change when interacting with a legislature’s staff.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

2021 was a major year for securing long-term funding for major infrastructure. Orange County’s impact under IIJA will have OCTA receive $475M in transit funding over the next five years (largely going into bus and bus facilities), $500M in highway formula funding, and $100M in competitive funds for zero-emission bus programs or streetcar initiatives. There will also be some funding for electric vehicle charging. There have been no projects directly identified to date that would take on these funds.

In total California is expected to receive about $44.56 billion in guaranteed funding according to the Administration. This estimate is based on the allocation of funds in prior bills and leaves out competitive grant programs. Of that funding, $3.5 billion is expected for water, $9.5 billion for transit, $4.2 billion for bridges, and $25.3 billion for highways. The following graphic shows the national breakdown of funds.

California's Infrastructure Scores a C-

The 2019 Infrastructure Report Card: This report assigns a letter grade to each category and to the overall report card, to more effectively communicate the general state of our California infrastructure to state and local legislators, as well as to the public. The 2019 California Infrastructure Report Card gave the overall infrastructure a grade of C-, which means California’s infrastructure is in mediocre condition and requires attention. Click on the graphic below to find out where we’ve improved, where we’ve slipped, and learn about how we can improve going forward.

America's Infrastructure Scores a C-

Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’s Infrastructure depicts the condition and performance of American infrastructure in the familiar form of a school report card—assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement.

The 2021 Infrastructure Report Card: Grades are in and America’s cumulative infrastructure GPA is a C-. For the first time in 20 years, our infrastructure GPA is a C-, up from a D+ in 2017. This is good news and an indication we’re headed in the right direction, but a lot of work remains. Click on the graphic below to find out where we’ve improved, where we’ve slipped, and learn about how we can improve going forward. InfrastructureReportCard.org/Solutions

ASCE Legislative Fly-In 2019 (Washington, D.C.)

(Left to right) ASCE OC Government Committee Members MJ Hashemi, Lenard Tran, Kenneth Rosenfield, and Adeleine Tran advocating on behalf of our nation’s infrastructure!

ASCE Region 9 was awarded the 2019 Outstanding Civil Engineer Advocate of the Year! Congratulations to our ASCE OC's own Elizabeth Ruedas, Adeleine Tran, Lenard Tran, Kenneth Rosenfield, and MJ Hashemi!

ASCE Region 9 Legislative Fly-In 2018 (Sacramento, CA)

ASCE OC Members at the State Capitol Grounds.

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Contacts

Steven Anderson, PE, PMP
Government Relations Chair
David Evans and Associates, Inc.
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Ian Chamberlain
Government Relations Committee Liaison
Equitable
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Committee Files

Inflation and Shortage Supply Impacts

We have all been witnessing price inflation, whether it is at the gas station or at the grocery store. Both inflation and material shortage have become part of our design considerations when we select and specify materials for our projects. The approach has been further emphasized over the last couple of years: the Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) community should initiate design and construction projects with a thorough understanding of material availability, fabrication, delivery lead time, projected construction index price, and an evaluation of equivalent alternatives.

2022 National Legislative Fly-In

The Government Relations Committee makes the trek to Washington DC to advocate for public works with our Orange County Representatives and Senators in March 2022.

Sudamericana Water Conservation

Last month, I traveled to Chile for my brother’s wedding and took the opportunity to wander in Patagonia, the Colchagua Valley (wine country), Santiago, and a few other places. I don’t know if the pattern is common across my peers, but as for myself, travels are generally punctuated by a constant evaluation of the local infrastructure, design details, construction means and methods, and an assessment of the infrastructure challenges that each region faces.

Connecting the Dots in 2022 and Beyond?

As we enter 2022, I wish our members a very happy and prosperous new year. It would be a shame not to recognize the accomplishments of the past year. Our hyperactive Orange County Branch committees did not stop interacting and implementing activities: I counted over 60 events held during the past year. I could not be prouder to belong to such a resilient and proactive organization. I thank my predecessor, Clint Isa, P.E., for spearheading the efforts, and all of our volunteers for your contributions over the past couple of years.

Infrastructure Bill and 2021 Recap

On Tuesday, November 9th, the ASCE OC November Luncheon Meeting showed a recap of important legislative events from the past year, both at the national and state level. While there has been a lot of interest in Biden's Infrastructure Bill, our team reviewed the current state of the bill and potential compromises to see it signed into law. Additional topics include green bond funding, affordable housing, grants, and the lasting impact of Gavin Newsom's recall victory.

So It Goes…

With the new fiscal year having begun in October, we felt this month’s President’s Column would be a good forum for our new presidents (Remi Candaele, ASCE OC Branch President; Ashlyn Alexander, ASCE OC YMF President) to introduce themselves and for me and YMF counterpart (Melissa Hilsabeck) to reflect on our respective terms as president of the OC Branch and OC YMF. I hope that the Q&A that follows helps you get to know more about each of us.