News

President Adjusts Tariffs on Metal Products

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to overhaul his steel, aluminum and copper tariffs, adjusting how duties are applied to imports of the raw metals and downstream products containing the metals.

Administration Budget Request Focuses on Defense – Proposes Agriculture and Water Cuts

The budget requests a major increase in defense spending, proposing a record $1.2 trillion. Significant cuts are proposed for agriculture and water programs with highway and bridge programs fairing better. The administration proposed similar cuts in last year’s budget which Congress did no adopt.

Promising Mid-Research Results from Pilot Watershed Project At Shallow Run

A relatively small watershed in Hardin County is producing encouraging results in the ongoing effort to improve water quality flowing toward Lake Erie. Researchers with The Ohio State University say the Shallow Run Pilot Watershed Project is already showing significant reductions in phosphorus runoff after just a few years of concentrated conservation practice adoption by farmers in the watershed.

How Smart Farm Infrastructure Upgrades Can Squeeze Out Extra Margin

Leading agricultural economists and industry experts are emphasizing what most farmers have already taken to heart about 2026 expenditures: Spend only where you can identify a clear, realistic path to higher returns or lower costs sooner than later.

Farmer Efforts Lead to Record Conservation Gains

“We hit exciting conservation milestones in 2025, and we battled very real challenges along the way,” said Iowa Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig. “And yet we continued to make progress because farmers said yes to conservation, even in a challenging ag economy. The pace of adoption continues to accelerate as more farmers, landowners, partners, practices, people and resources are added.”

2026 Illinois LICA Scholarship Recipients Announced

Three outstanding young leaders have been chosen as the 2026 Illinois LICA Scholarship winners, showcasing achievements and aspirations that reflect their drive to make a meaningful impact in their chosen fields.

Extension Cord Safety

Extension cords are commonly used in the workplace to provide temporary power, but they can introduce several hazards if not selected, used or maintained properly. This resource serves as a training aid for those conducting safety meetings, toolbox talks or tailgate sessions.

Managing Water, Not Just Moving It

Farmers do not invest in drainage to lose nutrients or send money downstream. Today’s tiling companies focus on helping farmers protect their investment while improving water quality by using systems designed to manage water more precisely, not simply moving it faster.

Utility Strikes Aren't an Awareness Problem, They're an Execution Problem

Every excavation project starts the same way: a crew, a plan and a patch of ground that looks like any other. What’s harder to see, and far more dangerous, is what lies beneath. Utility strikes remain one of the most persistent jobsite risks. Across the U.S., hundreds of thousands of utility damages are reported each year, many of them avoidable, according to the Common Ground Alliance (CGA).

Purple Wave Auctioning Restored 1968 John Deere 4020 Tractor For Local FFA Chapter

Purple Wave Auction is proud to support the Alva, Okla. FFA chapter with their 1968 John Deere 4020 restoration project, auctioning the tractor on April 15 and donating 100 percent of the buyer's premium back to the Alva FFA Chapter.

Steady Growth for Drain Tile Market, Provided Ag Investment Uninhibited: Report

The global tile drainage pipes market will continue to expand in and past 2026, says global analysis firm IndexBox. But that expansion will be more strategic as demand rises significantly and steadily throughout the next decade.

New National LICA ConX Benefit Released

LICA National is introducing a new member benefit through a partnership with ConX‑USA, a workforce labor‑sharing and management platform built for the construction and skilled‑trades industry. This partnership comes in direct response to the labor shortages and workforce visibility challenges contractors continue to face.

Competent Person: If You Can't Work, You Aren't Competent

Every trench collapse investigation eventually asks the same question: “Who was the Competent Person on this job?” The answer is almost always written on paperwork somewhere, and often known at the jobsite. But perhaps the real question should be: “Did [that person] actually have the authority to stop the work?” If the answer is no, then the title “Competent Person” was never real to begin with.

How Goals, Roles & Tasks Transform Teams

Confusion has a hefty price tag. If people aren’t clear about their roles, project goals and key tasks, frustration and burnout can undo even the strongest crews. Check out these five steps to building clarity, and bring your team’s mission into focus.

Senate Republicans Urge OSHA to Drop Heat Regulation

Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.), joined by 15 fellow Republican senators, sent a letter urging OSHA not to move forward with the implementation of a proposed heat regulation. OSHA's first-of-its-kind proposed rule, titled “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings,” was introduced in August 2025, and a final rule is widely expected to be issued in mid-to-late 2026.

Construction Material Price Hikes Reduce Demand

The Producer Price Index (PPI) for materials and services used in nonresidential construction rose 0.1 percent from January and 3.1 percent compared to February 2025, driven by sharp increases in metal prices. An analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) warned that rising costs are making it increasingly difficult for contractors and owners to proceed with planned projects.

Farm Bill Discussions Continue in House & Senate

The Senate Agriculture Committee will take up a farm bill of its own in the coming months. Senate Ag Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) noted that the timing depends in part on how debate on the House version proceeds, as reported by Agri-Pulse.

Farm Aid Urged in Iran Funding Measure

Farm organizations have appealed to the administration to propose a new round of assistance for agricultural producers as part of a defense supplemental request for funding the conflict with Iran. The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in supplemental funding for the war effort.

Corncobs to the Rescue: Scaling Up Bioreactors for Iowa's Water Quality Goals

The scale of change needed to meet Iowa’s nutrient reduction goal is, well, pretty difficult to comprehend. Different scenarios can be used to estimate the number of conservation practices needed, but in general, we know that at least 100,000 woodchip bioreactors will be required to meet water quality targets (along with wetlands, saturated buffers, cover crops, and other practices).

National LICA Participates in CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026

National LICA participated in CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in Las Vegas, marking the seventh consecutive showwhere the association has maintained a presence at the largest construction trade show in North America.