The race for federal zones starts in the statehouses

The article argues that states should prepare now to attract proposed Maritime Prosperity Zones, which could direct investment and jobs to selected areas. It says the incoming political balance in Congress makes action by state legislatures especially important, since federal laws and tax rules can be changed while industrial sites and their workforces tend to endure.

An April 2025 presidential order tasked the Commerce Department with planning zones modelled on Opportunity Zones, including areas around the Great Lakes. A Republican bill from Representatives Mike Kelly and Nathaniel Moran proposes up to 100 zones, but remains before the House Ways and Means Committee; no zones have been designated, and the bill would need to be refiled under a Democratic-led House. Eight Great Lakes senators, evenly split between the parties, have urged the president to define eligibility by maritime activity rather than geography.