(The Center Square) – Pepsi workers in Chicago are out of a job after the company announced the closure of the only plant left in the city. Simultaneously, Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is urging Stellantis to reopen its plant in Belvidere.
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said Stellantis choosing to expand elsewhere and not in Illinois is a result of bad public policy. The company, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands, said it will invest more than $6.1 billion into its Brazil plant.
“These manufacturers, these employers … none of this is happening by chance,” said Halbrook. “These are economic decisions that are based on the survivability of their company. Very few of these companies are shutting down, they’re just relocating to other business-friendly states or regions.”
Halbrook said state government puts its“thumb on the scale” by picking winners and losers. When talking about the over $500 million in tax credits for battery manufacturer Gotion, Halbrook said Pritzker has “poured in millions” to foreign adversaries. Gotion has links to the Chinese Communist Party.