VERIZON BILL EASILY PASSES ASSEMBLY TEST
Legislation that would allow Verizon to speed up the process of offering towns its fiber optic cable television service has nearly completed its legislative journey. The Assembly voted 61 to 13 for a bill which would allow Verizon to get a single statewide franchise agreement rather than seek town-by-town approvals to hook up fiber optic service to homes.

The Alliance for Action was a strong supporter of the legislation on the basis that it could provide consumers with cost savings and competitive choices.

The bill previously has passed the Senate, but must return there for action on June 19 to address concerns that state law requires all bills that institute a tax to originate in the Assembly. Governor Corzine has indicated that he would sign the bill.

PEPCO HOLDINGS PROPOSES NEW INTERSTATE ENERGY TRANSMISSION LINE
Pepco Holdings, Inc., has proposed construction of a new 500-kilovolt interstate transmission line to increase the reliability of the electric grid and keep pace with the rapidly increasing demand for energy in the mid-Atlantic region.

The new 230-mile line, called the PHI Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway, will originate in northern Virginia, cross Maryland and travel up the Delmarva Peninsula to New Jersey. The proposal was filed with the PJM Interconnection, which serves all or parts of states from New Jersey south to Tennessee and west to Illinois, and must approve proposed lines before construction can begin.

NEW TRANS-HUDSON RAIL TUNNEL GATHERS SUPPORT
Major editorial support for construction of a $6 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River has come from several New Jersey newspapers. A Star Ledger editorial proclaimed “A New Tunnel Is A Necessity.” The Asbury Park Press, The Trenton Times and The Bergen Record have also announced strong support for construction of the tunnel. Joining the effort is the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, which has commended Governor Jon Corzine for his endorsement of the tunnel. Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan said the Authority has made the tunnel its "highest transit expansion priority." He also said the NJTPA will fully support the Alliance for Action-administered Friends of the Tunnel coalition formed to advance the project.

SCHOOR DEPALMA ACQUIRES CMX OF PHOENIX
Schoor DePalma, the engineering and consulting firm based in Manalapan, has acquired CMX of Phoenix, Arizona, a 280-person firm which provides engineering and consulting in civil engineering, sports engineering, construction management, survey, water resources and planning. Chairman and CEO Stephen DePalma said the new subsidiary “provides the cornerstone in our growth into a truly national firm.”

TILCON REPORTS GOOD SAFETY TRAINING RESULTS
Tilcon, the Wharton quarry firm that produces crushed stone for roads, bridges and construction sites, has received good results from its decision to build a safety and hazard training facility for its employees. The quarry has experienced a 61 percent reduction of recordable injuries and a 57 percent decline in lost-time injuries. Eight hundred employees have been trained over two years.

SKILLS COMPETITION SET FOR CARPENTER APPRENTICES
Union apprentices from the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters will compete in the 2006 skills competition on Wednesday, June 28, at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The event is supported by the New Jersey Carpenter Contractor Trust and the Building Contractor Association of New Jersey.

Each apprentice will be given a project assignment to build in a 16 by 20 foot area. The skills competition categories will be: commercial and general carpentry, residential, interior systems, floor covering and mill cabinet shop.

NEW JERSEY JOBS GROWTH SHOWS DECLINE
The Sitar-Rutgers Regional Report says New Jersey added only 4,600 jobs during the first quarter between December 2005 and March 2006. Editors James W. Hughes and Joseph J. Senaca noted that this would project to an annual growth this year of 18,400 jobs, well below New Jersey’s employment growth of 45,400 jobs in 2005. First quarter employment growth was dominated by the public sector, which added 4,800 jobs mostly in local government, while the private sector experienced an overall loss of 200 jobs.

ALLIANCE IN ACTION
INTEREST IS STRONG IN HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE
Reminder--- The New Jersey Alliance for Action’s Hospital Construction Conference on Tuesday, June 20, in Trenton is attracting strong interest. Get your reservations in soon. The conference program will begin at 10 a.m., following a continental breakfast and networking, at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center.

New Jersey hospital leaders will report on their expansion projects and participate in discussions on the future of hospital construction in New Jersey. The program follows others hosted by the Alliance for Action on pharmaceuticals and utilities to strengthen the visibility and image of New Jersey’s construction industry.

BERGEN COUNTY ALLIANCE WILL MEET ON JUNE 9
The Bergen County Alliance for Action meeting on Friday, June 9, will feature presentations on Bergen County in the 21st century, union construction, and the Westmont Station. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m., following registration at 8:15 a.m., at the Auditorium of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission in Lyndhurst.

Presentations will be made by Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerny; Thomas Misciagna, President of the Bergen County Building & Construction Trades Council, and State Senator and Wood-Ridge Mayor Paul A. Sarto. Co-Chairs of the Bergen Alliance are McNerny, Misciagna, and J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr.
To register for this event online, go to Go Here.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Bradley M. Campbell, former Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, has become a member of the Wolff & Samson law firm.
Philip K. Beachem, President of the New Jersey Alliance for Action, will be honored by the Garden State Arts Foundation at its annual Francis Albert Sinatra Benefit Reception in June. The Foundation provides free programs for school children, seniors and other special needs residents at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel and other locations throughout the state.
Karen Alexander will leave her position as president of the New Jersey Cable Telecommunications Association to become chief executive of the New Jersey Utilities Association. She replaces Fred Abbate.

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