The just-completed session of the Georgia Legislature authorized the sale of $5.6 million in state bonds related to deepening the ports of Savannah and Brunswick, which would aid the state’s international trade.
The General Assembly also provided $175,000 in a direct appropriation to be shared by the Southern Center for International Studies (SCIS) and the Military Affairs Coordinating Council. SCIS will use the funds to further develop its international educational series including videos and manuals.
The Assembly also allocated $18,000 to the Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism to upgrade its International Trade Division’s export assistance video conferencing capabilities.
The Senate defeated a $100,000 appropriation recommended by the House to develop an international entrepreneurship program at Georgia State University.
Some $4.1 million of the bond issue’s receipts would go for a feasibility study and project design to deepen the Savannah River channel. Another $1.5 million would go for a feasibility study and project design to deepen Brunswick’s navigation channel.