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Bill would permanently extend tax relief
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U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson - photo by File photo
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., is co-sponsoring legislation to permanently extend tax relief provisions passed by Congress in 2001 and 2003. If Congress fails to take action, this tax relief would expire at the end of this year.
“Our families and small businesses cannot plan their budgets or grow their businesses when the tax bill coming from Washington is uncertain and unpredictable,” Isakson said. “By making these tax provisions permanent, we can create a pro-growth economic environment where families and small businesses can thrive.”
Specifically, the bill would extend the 2001 and 2003 individual income tax relief by preserving the 10 percent, 15 percent, 25 percent, 28 percent, 33 percent and 35 percent income tax brackets. The legislation also would extend the child tax credit at $1,000 per child and continue marriage penalty relief.
The legislation also would permanently exempt many Americans from the alternative minimum tax in 2010 and beyond.  Currently, more than 26 million American families are subject to this tax, because it was not indexed for inflation when it was created in 1969. The legislation would increase the 2010 exemption to $47,450 for single and head of household filers, $72,450 for married people filing jointly and for qualifying widows or widowers, and $36,225 for married people filing separately. Exemption levels would continue to increase each year.
In addition, the bill would offer “death tax” relief by providing for a 35 percent estate tax rate, a unified estate/gift exemption amount of $5 million per individual that is indexed for inflation and a stepped-up basis for inherited assets. The death tax fell to zero this year, but is set to come back to a 55 percent tax rate Jan. 1, 2011, if Congress fails to take action.
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Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
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The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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