BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – With the new and ever-increasing spotlight on security and environmental concerns regarding the CCP-linked Gotion battery plant being proposed for Big Rapids, Michigan, the opposition against the company and the deal with the state of Michigan seems to be increasing.

Last week, the final SOAR funding for the project was delayed by the Democratic-led Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee and taxpayer money wasn’t voted to be committed to the venture as many expected.

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In speaking with Republican Michigan Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton), she said that she hasn’t seen an agenda or posting on a meeting for this week to discuss the matter. She said, “They only have to post 18 hours in advance of the meeting and there’s no requirement that the meeting actually be held at its regularly scheduled time.” If the meeting was scheduled at its regular time, it would happen on Wednesday at 2 pm.

Theis said that she has heard rumors that a meeting about Gotion might still happen this week but that the rumors are coming from media reports and not committee members. Theis is a “no” vote on the SOAR funding for Gotion and has been tweeting her opposition to the project and also wrote an op-ed for the Detroit News today where she stated her many concerns and the risks involved in the project including concerns about security and the environment and the fact that she isn’t a fan of tax-payer funded “incentives” for economic development.

Democrat State Senator and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) told reporters after the vote was delayed that she wasn’t aware of any deadline for the committee to act although Gotion has said they want to start construction in July of this year. She also said, “I do have my own questions, and that’s another reason why you didn’t see it on the agenda. I’m weighing everything before I bring it before our committee.”

Republican State Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) doesn’t think the Democrats have the votes to appropriate the money to Gotion. He talked to News Nation recently and told them, “I have a good feeling that we might have this thing stopped.”

Damoose also appeared on the radio on The Steve Gruber Show on Monday to talk about the project and assured the host that he is against the Gotion deal even though he voted yes to fund the Ford Motor Co. EV battery plant in Marshall and the Our Next Energy Inc. EV battery plant in Novi to the tune of $410 million.

Damoose, who thinks he may have helped convinced some Democrats on the committee to vote against funding the Gortion project, told Gruber, “The only way it’s going to pass is if the governor is able to strong-arm or promise Democrats the world.”

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Theis has also speculated that the Democrats on the appropriations committee are most likely hearing from the governor and are probably getting pressure to vote yes and thinks that the governor will probably be successful at some point.

Ormand Hook, a military veteran and Big Rapids resident talked to News Nation about who is driving the deal to get done. He said, “The power is behind the scenes. Our opponents, the Governor, etc. has worked behind the scenes setting this all up. It was sprung on the local population about last September. A few people behind the scenes know everything that’s going on but the people don’t and that’s what really has made everyone angry.”

There are many, like Steve Gruber and Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga, who don’t want any involvement by Michigan or the rest of the country, investing in any projects that are linked to China, whether it’s because of security concerns, environmental concerns or the exploitation of 40,000 children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are mining cobalt, an essential component of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland) told Michigan News Source, “The Chinese communist party should not be permitted to buy up property in Michigan or frankly the United States. The more we learn about the adversarial actions of the CCP the more troubling and outright nefarious they become.”

How long will Gotion wait to find out if they will receive the SOAR funding and will the project continue if that doesn’t happen? And if they get the money and later run into problems with permits or a controversial story breaks about the company that won’t allow the project to continue, is Gotion required to return the funds to the state?

There are many questions that still remain about the Gotion project but we’re not getting a whole lot of answers from Gotion or from the state of Michigan.