National Political Figures McAuliffe, Gillespie, Gingrich To Address Annual Convention Ed Gillespie, former GOP National Committee Chairman   Terry McAuliffe and Ed Gillespie, former chairmen of the Democratic and Republican National Committees, will face-off on the latest hot-button political issues during the upcoming 2006 Annual Convention and Legislative Summit, April 30-May 2 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. McAuliffe, now a political commentator and Gillespie, still   Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee Chairman one of the most prominent GOP strategists, will debate each other during the Keynote Luncheon on Monday May 1. Earlier on Monday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is now considering a run for Presidency, will be the featured speaker at the Convention's Opening General Session. Gingrich served 20 years in Congress and as House Speaker from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, he was named "Man of the Year" by Time magazine. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich   On Tuesday, Fox News contributor Terry Holt, will participate in a panel discussion on effective communication and lobbying of elected officials, as part of an expanded "Legislative Summit" featuring key political speakers, agency visits and advanced issue education.   Terry Holt, Fox News analyst Tuesday evening, the 40th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala, known industry-wide as the "Academy Awards" of engineering, will honor top engineering achievements of the year. Make your hotel reservations well in advance while rooms are available. Contact the Grand Hyatt directly at 202-582-1234 to secure your hotel room. ACEC's discounted room rates expire on March 31. Click here to view Convention registration information. Register online by March 31 and receive an additional 5 percent off the registration fee. (This discount applies only to online member and non-member registrants and cannot be combined with any other discounts.)

Senate Committee Clears ACEC-Backed Health Care Bill; Timely For Convention Lobbying The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) gave its approval to a major ACEC legislative priority this week, clearing legislation that will make it easier for Council members to access affordable health insurance. "We're at a crucial point in the effort to pass this needed legislation," said Derrell Johnson, president of the Life/Health Trust. "We need large numbers of ACEC members to come to Washington during our Convention and help us make the case to Congress to get this done." Introduced by committee chairman Michael Enzi (R-WY), S 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, will allow businesses to band together across state lines through national trade associations to achieve greater bargaining power and economies of scale when purchasing health insurance. The legislation will enhance the effectiveness of ACEC's Life/Health Insurance Trust. The Trust currently provides nearly 2000 ACEC member firms with affordable health insurance products. In doing so, however, the Trust must comply with a myriad of state insurance regulations which add cost and hamper its ability to reach all ACEC members. The effect of the Enzi bill, and similar legislation that has already passed the House of Representatives, is that it will streamline the regulatory process and make it easier for the Trust to serve ACEC members. "The rising cost of health insurance continues to be a major issue for engineering firms," said Roger Jacobson of Engineering Associates in Cody, Wyoming. "Passage of this legislation represents a major step that Congress could take to help business manage these costs more effectively. We applaud Senator Enzi's commitment to this important legislation." The full Senate is expected to take up the bill later in the spring. Final passage of this legislation will be a major legislative priority during the Annual Convention and Legislative Summit in Washington, DC, April 29-May 3, 2006. Click here for information on registration for the Convention.

New A/E Tax Deduction Is Tremendous Benefit Chris Ohmes and Diane Herndon of Ernst and Young explained the new A/E deduction to an ACEC online audience this week. The new A/E 9 percent tax deduction is a tremendous benefit for the engineering industry. But it requires an in-depth understanding of the regulations to gain maximum advantage from it, tax experts from Ernst and Young told an online audience of ACEC members this week. Signed into law last year as part of the American Jobs Creation Act (H.R. 4520), the new directive means A/E firms can receive an income tax deduction for engineering services performed in the U.S. of 3 percent for 2005 and ramping up to 9 percent by 2010. "I just found out I saved over $3,000 in federal taxes. I'm estimating that our principals will save close to $5,000 in federal tax payments thanks to ACEC," said Christopher Borton, principal/president at Borton-Lawson, Wilkes-Barre, PA. "It can be a very beneficial deduction," said Ernst and Young's Susan Bennett. "But unlike the manufacturer of a single product, the tax deduction will be more problematic for the A/E industry because the industry itself is so varied and complex. A significant level of documentation on a project by project basis will be required." Ernst and Young representatives provided a general overview of the new regulations, including who it applies to and how is it computed. Also explained were some of the intricacies of the computational formula, including the limiters (taxable income and W-2 wages), qualifying receipts (referred to as domestic production gross receipts or "DPGR"), and related costs. Ernst & Young's Chris Ohmes explained that the primary requirements to qualify are: services must be engineering or architectural services; services must be performed by a taxpayer engaged in the engineering or architectural trade or business; and services must relate to real property. For further interpretation on how the new law works, click here.

ACEC, Colorado State To Jointly Offer Continuing Education CSU Program Director Al Powell ACEC and Colorado State University (CSU) have partnered to offer customized one and two-day courses related to A/E/C technical issues; health, safety and welfare; business practices; and leadership and ethics. All courses are held within easy driving distance of the Denver International Airport, at CSU's downtown Denver facility. "Our engineering college is extremely enthusiastic about this partnership," said Al Powell, CSU program director. "It helps ACEC leverage the resources of a research university, and we can bring the kind of research-based, quality education that will benefit your members." Kate Pennella, also a CSU program director, said: "We have an immense amount expertise in engineering, construction management and architecture available and are really poised to assist ACEC with their educational needs." Courses include: Engineering for Safety and Security: Preparing the Built Environment for Natural and Human-Caused Threats, April 20-21, 2006 Contracts and Project Risk Management—New Proactive Approaches, May 18, 2006 Project management Software, May 19, 2006 Engineering and Construction Leadership and Ethics, June 15, 2006 Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining A/E/C Employees, June 16, 2006 Courses offered under the CSU/ACEC partnership include professional development hours (PDHs) for successful completion. The PDHs can be used for continuing education credit applicable to professional licensure. Both CSU and ACEC will issue completion certificates for all courses taken under the joint program. For registration information, contact Deirdre McKenna at dmckenna@acec.org or call 202-347-7474..

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