The legislative study committee for the commercial building process will review a proposal next week to let commercial developers start building before plan approval, as contractors and regulators search for a way to relieve project backlogs.

Tagged with: building permits John Schulze Legislative Council Study Committee on the Commercial Building Permitting Process Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Officials on Tuesday rescinded an $80,000 no-bid contract to remodel the Racine County city of Burlington's city hall after trade groups questioned the project.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin bidding Burlington John Schulze

About one in 10 Wisconsin construction workers are improperly classified as independent contractors or paid in cash, abuses that deprive the state of about $40 million worth of tax revenue every year.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Jake Castanza John Schulze Midwest Economic Policy prevailing wage worker misclassification

State lawmakers moved on Tuesday to advance a bill that would provide businesses with nearly blanket protection against COVID-19-related lawsuits and prevent employers from being able to require that their employees obtain a vaccination against the virus.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Chris Kapenga coronavirus John Schulze state Legislature

A draft bill being circulated in the state Legislature would shield Wisconsin employers from lawsuits if their workers catch COVID-19 on the job.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors Associated General Contractors of America Chris Kapenga coronavirus John Schulze state Legislature

Even as the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services remains under pressure to speed its processing of commercial-building plans, it has removed from its website a public calendar showing the extent of its review backlog.

Tagged with: Dawn Crim Duey Stroebel John Schulze plan reviews Roger Roth Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have prevented contractors from inspecting fire and smoke dampeners unless they were first certified in response to misgivings that a legislative panel would most likely have struck the proposal down.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin John Schulze Jonathan Kowalski Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Three years since Wisconsin lawmakers repealed prevailing wage on state and local jobs in Wisconsin, critics of the policy are still debating if the state is better off without it.

Tagged with: Andrew Disch Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Davis-Bacon Act John Schulze North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters prevailing wages Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

State officials are taking steps meant to ease an acute backlog in requested reviews of commercial-construction plans after delays were a common subject of complaint this past building season.

Tagged with: Andre Jacque Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin Chris Kapenga Dawn Crim John Schulze plan reviews Roger Roth Steve Klessig Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Recent legislation that prevents contractors from owing sales and use taxes on materials needed for nonprofit and UW projects has eliminated a long-standing point of frustration for many companies.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin John Schulze Mark Born sales tax