The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently held a listening session to hear the public’s thoughts on whether additional H-2B visas should be made available to employers.  GCSAA has consistently argued that superintendents need access to these additional visas, approved by Congress last year, as golf plays a greater role during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rounds are up and superintendents are working longer hours to ensure the best playing conditions.

Congress has approved an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), making it available for small businesses for a greater period of time.  The PPP’s application deadline was originally set to expire March 31.  Under the “PPP Extension Act of 2021”, small businesses can now apply for these loans for two additional months, through May 31.   The Act passed both houses of Congress by wide, bipartisan margins and is expected to be signed by the President before the current deadline expires.

I recently presented on advocacy topics to an audience of the Connecticut Environmental Council (CTEC). Topics covered were policy issues at the state level impacting golf course superintendents and how to communicate with legislators and staff regarding those issues.

On March 10, the United States Senate voted to confirm Michael Regan as President Joe Biden's pick to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The vote was 66 to 34.

Congress has passed and President Biden is expected to sign into law, the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” (American Rescue Plan), a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package aimed at addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.    Many of the provisions of the American Rescue Plan are similar to those found in prior stimulus bills passed by Congress.  Funds are provided for greater access to vaccines and testing as before.    And popular assistance programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program receive additional funding, as well.  However, there are some changes from prior stimulus efforts, as well.  Details are discussed below. 

GCSAA’s Government Affairs Department Director Chava McKeel was an invited guest to spend time on Friday, February 19 speaking with senior leadership from the U.S. EPA Office of Water, including Radhika Fox, OW’s new Acting Assistant Administrator. The Biden-Harris Administration is making a priority for federal agency leadership to collaborate with all stakeholders to advance the work of the Administration. This outreach is just a first step in building  closer relationship with this information EPA Office.

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America joined a group of national specialty pesticide and fertilizer and other green industry associations to sign onto two letters to U.S. Senate committees of jurisdiction urging confirmation of Secretary-elect Michael Regan as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Honorable Thomas Vilsack as Secretary-elect of the United States Department of Agriculture.

A bill was recently introduced in the Montana statehouse that would have changed the treatment of golf courses in the state’s tax code by essentially doubling their commercial property tax rate.   

President-elect Joe Biden has indicated his choices for many of the top-level positions in his incoming administration.  Many of these nominees will impact the water, pesticide and labor issues that comprise GCSAA’s Priority Issues Agenda.  Not all nominees require confirmation by the United States Senate but those that do may find their hearings delayed:  The Senate will be unable to conduct most business until the results of the January 5 runoff races for the two Senate seats in Georgia are known. 

President Trump has signed into a law the $900 billion fiscal stimulus package and $1.4 trillion omnibus appropriations bill aimed at relieving effects of the pandemic and funding the federal government through fall of 2021.

Updated 1/11/2021: Georgia Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated incumbent GOP Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively. Both Loeffler and Perdue conceded to their Democratic opponents late last week. With the Senate victories, the chamber is now split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, giving the Democrats control of the Senate.

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As President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris prepare to assume office, GCSAA has joined its allies on the H-2B Workforce Coalition to make sure they know how essential the H-2B visa program is to seasonal industries like golf.  GCSAA has co-signed a letter to them that emphasizes the importance of the program in providing temporary, legal workers to employers who have exhausted efforts elsewhere.  The letter sends a valuable message to the incoming Administration.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). First identified in Wuhan, China in 2019, it led to a serious global health crisis that ramped up in the United States beginning in March 2020. COVID-19 quickly spread throughout the United States between March-May 2020, resulting in local and state governments issuing severe business restrictions and stay-at-home orders. Consequently, all factions of the golf industry quickly assembled to: 1) ensure golf was included as an acceptable form of outdoor recreation; and 2) ensure minimal maintenance at golf properties could continue. Proactive advocacy efforts included outreach to governor’s offices in all 50 states by golf industry leaders and state-based golf coalitions.

GCSAA has been a strong advocate since March 2020 focused on responding to COVID-19. We are seeing now states, cities and counties across the country reporting an uptick in coronavirus cases as we enter the winter months and many governors, mayors and county officials are taking new steps to reinstate stricter policies including updating Executive Orders.

The golf industry, working in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control, developed Back2Golf guidelines which were modeled after President Trump’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again. These guidelines demonstrate that golf can offer an outdoor recreational experience that provides many health and wellness benefits. This comprehensive plan allows golf to be played responsibly while observing recommended social distancing guidelines.

As elected officials update their restrictions and Executive Orders targeted at mitigating the resurgence of cases by limiting group sizes, requiring facemasks indoors and outdoors, and closing down activities, rest assured GCSAA’s Government Affairs and Field Staff departments will continue to closely monitor these actions and will continue to protect and defend the golf industry. Most important, where allowed, golf has proven to be a reliable refuge for those seeking fresh air and recreation in a socially distant manner. As government bodies carefully consider the steps needed to maintain state economies, GCSAA urges government bodies to remember the many community benefits offered by golf courses, the opportunity golf facilities provide to the millions who enjoy the game, and the many new social distancing protocols put in place. GCSAA and the golf industry wants to serve as a reliable partner at all levels of government to respond to COVID-19 and any future pandemics. 

Advocacy specific COVD-19 resources can be found here. 

It’s been more than three weeks since Election Day but there are still a handful of congressional races that either remain to be called or are facing a runoff.  In the Senate, the current partisan breakdown is 50-48, Republican-Democrat.   Two Senate races, in the State of Georgia, are headed to a runoff which will be held on January 5^th.   In the House of Representatives, the current breakdown is 222-208, Democrat-Republican.  Five House races remain undecided, with four of them potentially impacting the Democrat’s balance of power.  (The 5^th Congressional District in Louisiana faces a Republican v. Republican runoff in December that will not change the balance of power).  Further, Representative Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2) will, temporarily, decrease the Democrats numbers when he joins the incoming Biden Administration, as expected.