Associated Builders and Contractors filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to overturn an Obama administration rule requiring companies bidding for government contracts to disclose past labor law violations.

The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order was signed by President Barack Obama in 2014 but is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 25 of this year. Critics have labeled the order "blacklisting," but the administration said the new rule would protect workers from unscrupulous employers.

"Taxpayer dollars should not reward companies that break the law, and contractors who meet their legal responsibilities should not have to compete with those who do not," the U.S. Department of Labor said on its website. http://bit.ly/2dWrz9L

ABC argues the administration exceeded its constitutional authority by requiring contractors to publicly disclose past violations. The group has asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to overturn the order.

"ABC supports policies that provide value to taxpayers by ensuring that federal contractors compete on a level playing field, but this rule will require contractors to report alleged violations that have not been fully adjudicated and are being contested, which violates their first amendment and due process rights and is likely to harm fair and open competition in the federal marketplace," said Ben Brubeck, ABC's vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs.

ABC's Southeast Texas Chapter and the National Association of Security Companies have joined the association in the lawsuit. http://bit.ly/2d7pV3v

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