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Advocacy
The HBA of Greater Springfield is the chief advocate for the residential construction industry in the ten counties it serves. Association advocacy takes place on the municipal, county, state, and federal levels, and can be categorized into four parts: Regulatory advocacy includes working with regulatory staff (within the bureaucracy) for positive change. Legislative advocacy includes working with elected officials to change, defeat or adopt laws or ordinances that are more favorable to the industry. Political advocacy consists of effectively advocating in the electoral process to help elect similarly-minded officials to public office. It can include campaign contributions, volunteer efforts, campaign management, etc. Legal advocacy is when an unfavorable or abusive law or enforcement method must be challenged in court via lawsuit.
Green Home Building to Increase as Much as 38% by 2016
A new report produced by McGraw-Hill Construction and released during the National Green Building Conference and Expo in Nashville this week estimates that the green homes share of the construction market will rise 29% – 38% by 2016 after having accounted for about 17% of the market in 2011. The “SmartMarket Report – New and Remodeled Green Homes: Transforming the …
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ProtectHomeownership.com Launched to Enlist Public in Homeownership Defense
With numerous legislative and regulatory proposals taking aim at the American Dream of homeownership and federal elections just around the corner this November, NAHB is seeking to harness the public’s well-documented support for this worthy cause through our newly launched website at ProtectHomeownership.com. This consumer-oriented website alerts readers to the numerous threats to homeownership, including recent proposals to scale back …
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EPA to Delay Implementing New Stormwater Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency has missed a settlement agreement deadline of April 27 for releasing its new stormwater regulation, and will have to delay the rule by perhaps a year from its intended date due to difficulties the agency has experienced in coming up with an appropriate cost-benefit analysis. In developing this new stormwater regulation, EPA aims to limit the volume and pollutant loads in stormwater …
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President’s Blog: NAHB Also Leading on Independent Contractor Issue
Note: This is part two of a two-part blog on this subject. To read part one, click here. As part of its advocacy program on your behalf, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is monitoring issues surrounding the status of independent contracting at the national level. There have been several federal developments on independent contractor status recently. While it is imperative …
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Second New Video from MO Work Comp Division Features Springfield HBA
The Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations Division of Workers Compensation released a new video this week – “Overview of Work Comp.” The video features interview segments with HBA of Greater Springfield CEO Matt Morrow, and provides a concise description of what Missouri Workers Compensation law requires of businesses that operate in the construction industry. The video also picks …
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President’s Blog: On the Horizon – Independent Contracting Under Fire
Note: This is part one of a two-part blog on this subject. To read part two, click here. Recently, I’ve seen a new issue emerging on the advocacy landscape for our industry which relies heavily on the independent contracting model. The U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are targeting small businesses like ours to ensure they are classifying …
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KY3: Does Your Contractor Carry Workers Comp Insurance? You Need to Know!
On Wednesday, March 28, Contact KY3‘s Jay Scherder highlighted the need for consumers to do their homework when hiring a contractor. In Missouri, construction businesses are generally required to carry workers compensation insurance for the protection of employees, businesses, and consumers. Active and current workers compensation insurance is a requirement for membership in the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield. Many …
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HBA Receives Community Service Award from Springfield Fire Department
The Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield was honored by the Springfield Fire Department Thursday with its 2011 Community Service Award. The award was in recognition of the HBA’s leadership in the city’s effort to make 2011 the “Year of the Smoke Alarm.” At the Fire Department’s urging, Springfield City Council last year declared 2011 to be the “Year of …
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Election Day is April 3: Prepare Before You Vote!
Tuesday, April 3, is election day in the Ozarks. There are municipal elections as well as Ozarks Technical Community College board of trustees and a number of ballot initiatives, as well. Your Coalition for Building a Better Tomorrow, the official political action committee of the HBA of Greater Springfield, has contributed to several candidates in the region as well as …
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What You Need to Know About the International Green Construction Code
Now that the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) has been introduced by the International Code Council, home builders and developers are wondering whether green mandates are in their future – especially since the IgCC comes with a menu of rating systems choices depending on what kind of project you’re building. It’s important to remember that the IgCC is intended to be a …
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