The 2022 Session will begin on Wednesday, January 12, and should end on Saturday, March 12. Governor-elect Youngkin has most of his cabinet in place: Cabinet Appointees.
Secretary of Transportation: Shep Miller III
While many of his picks do not have a long history of government experience, VTCA is pleased to report that current Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) member Shep Miller will be the new Transportation Secretary. His experience and knowledge from his time on the CTB and within the Hampton Roads District will provide a good foundation as the CTB has navigated through funding needs, Smart Scale, COVID and Local Area Projects recently.
Secretary of Labor: Bryan Slater
In addition, Bryan Slater has been named Secretary of Labor and will oversee agencies that enforce workplace & licensing issues. Bryan was previously with the U.S. Department of Labor and worked in the Gilmore Administration. It traditionally takes a few weeks to a few months to name agency heads, yet the Youngkin Administration wants to move quickly, and we expect announcements will be made soon.
Director of Environmental Quality: Michael Rolband
However, we are also pleased to report Mike Rolband will be the new Director at DEQ. Mike founded Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. to assist economic developers in navigating the Clean Water Act, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, and local environmental regulations. Wetland Studies and Solutions joined VTCA in 2008 and remains an active member. He previously taught at Cornell University on wetlands and stream restoration. VTCA’s staff have great relationships with these individuals and look forward to working with them.
Secretary of Natural Resources: Andrew Wheeler
Youngkin has also named his choice for Secretary of Natural Resources, Andrew Wheeler. Andrew brings extensive experience and passion to the administration, dedicating his career to advancing sound environmental policies.
In 2019, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrew as the 15th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was previously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Deputy Administrator in 2018. He began his career during the George H. W. Bush Administration as a Special Assistant in EPA’s Pollution Prevention and Toxics office as a career employee.
Going into the 2022 Session: Funding, Commodities, and Workforce Development are the three core focus areas for VTCA.
Funding: The perception that DOT’s (Department of Transportation) across the country are flush with federal dollars is giving legislators the feeling that they can cut transportation funding without ramifications. But legislators cannot be allowed to forget where the states have been vs. what was planned. Successful transportation funding programs depend on long-term funding and proper planning is essential. VA’s Legislature in the summer of 2020 addressed VDOT’s $800M loss in expected revenue from COVID sales tax losses with a plan that funding would come back up within a few years. In 2022, campaign pledges to cut the grocery tax mean an annual loss of $130M in anticipated transportation revenue. If a 1-year “freeze” of the gas tax is approved – another campaign pledge, it will result in an additional loss of $250M for that year. Yet, officials and localities have set long-term plans for road repair and construction and the money needs to come from somewhere. VTCA will be front and center educating legislators on the consequence of cuts to transportation funding.
Commodities: Everyone is experiencing unprecedented cost increases, and budgeting for current and future bids is problematic. VTCA is working with VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) and ARTBA (American Road and Transportation Builders Association) to help members get a better handle on how future prices will impact current and future projects. If cost escalation stays on the current trajectory, VDOT may have to consider cutting projects scheduled a few years out to support nearer-term projects.
Workforce Development: VTCA has partnered with the Virginia Community College System and other transportation construction trade groups who are in dire need of skilled, credentialed experts in all trades as we strive to meet the state’s infrastructure needs and fill thousands of job openings. The group formed an unprecedented collaboration to create a statewide VA Infrastructure Academy (VIA). The Academy will ensure community statewide training programs to produce “high-demand graduates at business speed to address the needs of the transportation, wind and solar energy, and high-speed broadband industries. The goal is to train and hire 4,000 workers each year over the next 4 years. VTCA is currently setting up a Task Force to support and guide this effort to provide relief to the industry.
Other Issues: VTCA will carefully watch environmental, workplace and general procurement proposals. Most “controversial” bills are not going to be seen in the business environment.
If you have questions or comments, please contact: gordon@vtca.org.