Washington, South Carolina and Minnesota Could Pass Bills in 2025
In its efforts to eliminate local municipal bans against polymeric construction products in homebuilding, PEPA has won landmark battles dating back to 2018 in states including North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Texas. This success has opened local markets for vinyl siding and other polymeric exterior products while – equally important – allowing contractors to use more cost-effective materials to build higher-quality homes.
Thanks to the passion and diligence of PEPA’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy, Alex Fernandez, three more states—Washington, South Carolina and Minnesota—are in the queue for passage in 2025. “Washington state is progressing the most,” Alex said. “We have dedicated support from the Chair of the Senate Housing Committee (Sen. Jessica Bateman), who also sits on the Senate Local Government Committee. We also have support from a majority of members of both committees. And there is broad support for the bill in the House.”
According to Alex, a win in Washington state could spark a more national discussion on the importance of empowering local homebuilders to construct more durable, less expensive and more sustainable homes.
“North Carolina became the first state to prohibit local bans on modern building materials seven years ago,” Alex noted. “If we get a win on the opposite coast, we can make a case that this is more than a regional issue and that local bans are a contributing factor in the affordable housing crisis.”
A bill in Minnesota has been in the works for the past two years, sponsored by State Senator Jim Nash. Still, progress has been stalled due to an unprecedented fight over legislative control between the two parties that is now being argued in the State Supreme Court. Alex is hopeful that this bill will be picked up again once a settlement is reached and that both Minnesota and South Carolina will be voting on these respective bills by the summer.
“We have what appears to be majority support in both states,” Alex explained. “And we have the added advantage of demonstrating the positive impacts of opening local markets on homebuilding in neighboring states (i.e., Iowa and North Carolina) and what this can mean for economic development and affordable workforce housing in their own backyards.”
Now that PEPA is opening membership to new product categories – including polymeric roofing and fencing products – passing new laws in Washington, South Carolina and Minnesota along with continuing advocacy in more states, is even more critical to eliminating barriers to home ownership at the most local levels.
To learn more about PEPA’s advocacy efforts or to seek PEPA’s assistance with legislative reform in your state, contact Alex Fernandez at afernandez@polymericexteriors.org.
Don Browne is a writer, entrepreneur and local legislator who believes that the power of words can change the world. He provides unique writing services for clients in the construction, health care, IT and hospitality sectors. He has a passion for small business and start-ups, as well as writing about Irish history, family and corporate biographies. As a homeowner and father of four who is passionate about community development, Don looks forward to writing more about the exciting possibilities of creating traditional neighborhoods and more sustainable communities using modern materials.