2011 Senate Bill 855 ↩

House Roll Call 613: Passed

To authorize giving a $50 million state subsidy to a firm called “Townsend Ventures,” which <A href="http://www.senate.michigan.gov/committees/files/2011-SCT-ECON-11-30-1-01.PDF">says it wants</A> to use the former Ford Motors Wixom plant to make systems related to electric car batteries. If enacted, this would be the second time the legislature has authorized a large cash subsidy for an outfit wanting to use this closed plant; the first deal fell through (see <A href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2009-SB-777">2009 Senate Bill 777</A>). The bill would also reduce by $25 million a similar subsidy for a Johnson Controls Corporation battery plant (which is also the beneficiary of almost $300 million in federal subsidies, and potentially up to $48.5 million in other Michigan subsidy/tax breaks).