Wisconsin Senate poised to pass $3 billion for Foxconn

The proposed subsidy would be the largest ever from a

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U.S. state to a foreign company and 10 times bigger than anything Wisconsin has extended to a private business. It would take at least 25 years for Wisconsin to see a return on its investment, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated.

Foxconn would receive $2.85 billion in cash payments over 15 years if it invests $10 billion in the state and employs 13,000 people. It could also qualify for $150 million in sales tax exemptions for construction equipment.

The Assembly, which like the Senate is firmly in GOP control, takes a final vote Thursday. The bill then goes to Gov. Scott Walker, who led negotiations on the deal and has a deadline to sign a bill by the end of the month.

Critics, including Democrats who don't have the votes to stop it, argued Tuesday that state taxpayers are giving up too much. They also questioned whether the state economic development agency, which has had trouble tracking much smaller projects, will be able to properly verify that the required investments are made and jobs created.

Senate Democrats were pushing changes to the bill Tuesday they said would prioritize Wisconsin workers and businesses, protect taxpayers from overpayments to Foxconn and increase environmental oversight. None were expected to be adopted.

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-09-wisconsin-billion-foxconn.html#jCp