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NY State May Soon Require State Construction Projects To Use American Steel

George Washington Bridge
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George Washington Bridge

Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders announced a deal Tuesday that would require agencies to buy American-made iron and steel for projects like bridges, subways and new state buildings.

The Democratic governor pitched a broader "buy American" proposal in January that would have applied to all large state purchases. The proposal was whittled down to iron and steel during negotiations with lawmakers.

Cuomo says using American steel and iron will boost American manufacturing.

The Legislature is expected to pass the new standard before it adjourns this week.

The measure would also create a task force to study whether the state should enact a "buy American" policy when it comes to other materials such as concrete, cement and aluminum.

© 2017 AP

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Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.