Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has leveraged a state business incentive program to offer more than $1 billion each to eight different companies since it was created in 2021. Records obtained by The Detroit News through “a protracted, 10-month public records process” revealed only two of the eight companies ultimately took the bait, while offers to the other five were either rejected or are still pending.
Both of the accepted $1 billion-plus deals are now in limbo, with a Ford battery plant in Marshall downsized and delayed, and a Gotion battery parts plant near Big Rapids that remains tied up in litigation and public opposition over environmental concerns and links to the Chinese Communist Party. The other billion-dollar deals involved Volkswagen AG, Stellantis, Samsung SDI America, Scout Motors, and Micron Technologies.
Officials at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, meanwhile, are defending the deals, which they said go through business, financial and legal reviews before they’re approved by lawmakers. “We have been focused on making sure that we are growing the economy where we can utilize our competitive strengths that we have in the state in terms of advanced manufacturing, mobility and our clean energy opportunities,” said Josh Hundt, MEDC’s chief projects officer. “These and all the companies that we’ve made offers to under the SOAR program have fit within one of those areas.” Michigan taxpayers will have to take Hundt’s word for it, as 100 pages of nearly 550 produced in response to The News’ records request were redacted.
Gretchen Whitmer Offered Eight $1 Billion Corporate Welfare Deals Since 2021
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