Governor J.B. Pritzker labeled opponents of his choice to finance Gotion, Inc., a Chinese company that makes batteries for electric vehicles and has connections to the Communist Party of China, as “xenophobes” and “MAGA Republicans.” That’s strange, considering that the leaders of their Democratic party have issued some of the most serious alerts regarding China on supply chain vulnerabilities, espionage, and intelligence gathering.
It wasn’t until 18 other EV investment prospects were lost to other states that Pritzker convinced Gotion to go to Illinois. To seal the deal with the manufacturer of lithium batteries, Pritzker approved a $536 million package of assistance, which included a 30-year local property tax freeze, $125 million from the state loan program Invest in Illinois, and $213 million in tax incentives.
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