LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A lot has been reported about the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee narrowly approving the final funding for the Gotion battery plant project in Big Rapids by a vote of 10-9. However, not much has been reported about who voted yea and who voted nay – and why.
This is how the votes broke down.
Voting nay were Republican state senators Jon Bumstead, Thomas Albert, John Damoose, Mark Huizenga, Rick Outman and Lana Theis along with Democrat state senators Rosemary Bayer, Sylvia Santana, and Jeff Irwin.
Democratic state senators Sarah Anthony, Sean McCann, Kristen McDonald Rivet, John Cherry, Sue Shink, Kevin Hertel, Darrin Camilleri, Veronica Klinefelt, Mallory McMorrow and Mary Cavanagh all voted yea to get the funding passed.
All of the Republicans on the committee were against funding the project and they have also been outspoken about it, citing environmental and national security concerns.
State Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton) has been one of the leading opponents of the project and said about it, “Gotion crafted, in secret, a sweetheart deal with eager government bureaucrats that threatens our state and national sovereignty and security, the environment, and public health and safety, while essentially costing the company nothing in return. Gotion is being paid to come here, will pay nothing in return in terms of local taxes, and will not be responsible for cleaning up its potential environmental catastrophes. The plant’s looming disaster is a risk too great to ignore and I worry Michigan will soon regret its decision.”
State Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs), who opposes the project and voted no on the funding, released a statement on his website after the vote. He said, “I have been fighting against this project since it was first proposed during my time in the House of Representatives…Company officials have routinely left questions unanswered, and concerns from both lawmakers and state residents have not been addressed. This isn’t a way to forge a relationship, and I don’t believe Gotion has earned the trust of state residents, which is a critical part of this development being successful.”
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He went on to say, “I sit on the Senate Committee on Appropriations and have been directly involved in this process. This proposal is riddled with unanswered questions and concerns – and company officials have done little to rectify this…For these reasons and more, I remain opposed to this proposal and am disappointed in the committee’s actions today.”
Congressman John Molenaar, who represents Mecosta County in the U.S. House of Representatives, also chimed in about the Senate Appropriations Committee vote. He said, “To take millions of dollars from Michigan taxpayers and give it to a subsidiary of a company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party is a historic mistake by the Michigan legislature. This proposed facility will be 100 miles from Camp Grayling where the Michigan National Guard has trained military partners from Taiwan to prepare for possible CCP aggression. Yet Michigan’s state government leaders are siding with CCP-affiliated companies.”
Committee Chair and State Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), who voted to fund the project released a statement on her website about her vote. She said, “After consultation with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and voluntary actions by Gotion, we have been assured that there are safeguards in place to address the concerns that have been raised. After review and ongoing discussions of this proposal, the Committee voted to approve the transfer. My support today was ultimately about the transformative impact of this project: around 2,350 new, Michigan jobs, which will average $52,000 per year, more than double the per-capita income, in one of the poorest counties in the state.”
Every member of the committee was contacted by Michigan News Source to inquire about their reasons for their votes and only Santana’s office sent a response back. Her office said, “Thank you for contacting the Office of Senator Sylvia Santana. The Senator is not taking any media requests regarding Gotion and especially with this late notice/request. At this juncture, she is dedicating her time to the demands of the DHHS budget and her Committee work.”
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