Volume 87 No. 7
September 2023
“The Voice of Port Industries” @VAmaritime
BIENNIAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS ADOPTED RICHMOND, VA | The Virginia General Assembly returned to Richmond on September 6th for a long-awaited Special Session to adopt amendments to the 2022-2024 biennial budget that was enacted in 2022. At the end of the Regular Session earlier this year, the General Assembly adopted just five spending amendments to the budget before adjourning without an agreement on the full budget. An amended budget was passed during the September 6 Special Session, with the House of Delegates voting 86-4 to agree to the new budget, and the Senate voting 38-0-1. Governor Youngkin signed the budget into effect on September 14, 2023.
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$10 million devoted toward developing an inland port in Southwest Virginia
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$9M annually for the Talent Accelerator Program
Earlier this year, the VMA advocated for several budget items throughout Session and during VMA’s legislative Port Day to enhance the capacity and fluidity of our supply chain. Upon final passage, the budget included funding for each of VMA’s budget priorities: •
$150 million devoted to widening Interstate 64 between Richmond and Williamsburg
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$125 million devoted to the Virginia Business Ready Site Fund, plus $75 million to empower the Commonwealth to procure sites and make them ready for larger employers.
As always, VMA’s consultant, Kemper Consulting, continues to actively monitor the inner workings of the General Assembly and advise Association leadership. Whether budget items, legislation, or regulation, VMA members are Better Represented!
SEAGATE TERMINALS HOSTS GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR SOLAR-POWERED BUILDING CHESAPEAKE, VA| SeaGate Terminals, LLC, a premier warehouse and logistics provider, recently broke ground on a solar-powered multi-use building at the company’s Chesapeake, VA location. The new 4,000-square-foot solar-powered office building will help meet growing customer demand at the Virginia terminal and underscores their commitment to sustainability. David White, Executive Director at Virginia Maritime Association, was honored to attend our member company’s groundbreaking ceremony on August 8, 2023, along with other special guests Ben White and Tim Howlett from the City of Chesapeake Economic Development and Brandon Nice from David Nice Builders.
INSIDE THIS EDITION
The new multi-use building is expected to be completed in early 2024, and plans are underway for a dedication ceremony.
h VMA23 Program Spotlight (3)
h Port Statistics (5)
h VMA Board Nominations (2)
h Automatic Coating (4)
h YMCA Open Enrollment (5)
h McAllister Tug Announcement (3)
h Rushmark in Warren County (4)
h Association in Action (6)
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