By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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BELVIDERE — A pair of Democratic lawmakers plan to push for the passage of a bill to incentivize electric vehicle production in Illinois during the final days of the fall veto session next week.
State Rep. Dave Vella filed House Bill 4155 Sept. 27. He and state Sen. Steve Stadelman are sponsoring the legislation in hopes it secures the future of the Belvidere Assembly Plant, where Jeep Cherokees are built. The veto session begins Tuesday.
“With new federal and state goals and changing consumer priorities, automakers are looking to rapidly scale the production of electric vehicles in the United States,” Stadelman said in a news release. “We have a narrow, critical window now to stimulate EV investment in Illinois. Bold and immediate action is necessary.”
Related: Belvidere wants electric vehicle incentives to strengthen Jeep plant for years to come
Incentives offered under the Reimaging Electric Vehicles Illinois bill, the name for the lawmaker’s proposal, would include tax credits and job training for automakers and supply chain businesses that relocate to or retool in Illinois.
Stellantis, the automaker that owns the Belvidere plant, has not indicated whether it is considering Belvidere for electric vehicle production. However, the company said in July it would invest roughly $35 billion into electric vehicle production and software through 2025.
Related: Belvidere Assembly Plant shuts down through October amid global microchip shortage
“With electric vehicles becoming more and more popular, we have an opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to the Rockford and Belvidere area and Illinois as a whole by making our state more attractive to auto manufacturers,” Vella said in a news release. “This legislation rewards manufacturers that invest in their Illinois-based plants and employees. With an auto plant in our community, this bill would create a major investment in our local economy.”
Manufacturing incentives for electric vehicles would complement retail incentives such as $4,000 rebates on electric vehicle purchases that were contained in the massive clean energy bill Illinois lawmakers approved last month, the lawmakers said.
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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.