- July 21, 2022
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Economy
The Governor has signed new legislation aimed at expanding Michigan’s maritime economy. It would help award grants to owners of port facilities and expand Michigan’s commercial maritime ports.
Together, Senate Bill 744 and House Bill 5291 establish the Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program Act. The House Bill was sponsored by Republican Jack O’Malley of Lake Ann in Benzie County. “The whole goal is to diversify our economy. Michigan is a Great Lakes state and yet when it comes to shipping in the Great Lakes, we’re last,” O’Malley says. “This would allow these ports to expand if they wanted to.”
As one of Michigan’s newest laws, it will create a new office within MDOT specifically designed to address the needs of port cities and coastal communities. Ludington City Manager Mitch Foster is excited about it. “I’m glad that after a couple of years of hard work that Rep. O’Malley and the Governor were able to…
