|
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Pritzker recalled that
former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson was proactive in building
economic development opportunities in Illinois.
“Our renewed vigor in many ways, following his lead, has made
Illinois a state that is truly open for business now,” Pritzker
said.
McCombie, R-Savanna, and whose district includes Lena, said
creating more jobs is a plus but criticized Pritzker's policies.
“Job growth is always positive, and we can and should be doing
more to make it a trend in our state,” McCombie said in a
statement to The Center Square.
McCombie said Illinois needs positive, pro-growth policies that
stimulate local economies and instill confidence in the state’s
future.
“Instead, under Governor Pritzker we have had more government
regulation, more taxes and more mismanagement that continue to
hinder significant progress,” McCombie stated.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Director Kristin Richards joined Pritzker at Friday’s
announcement.
Richards said the expansion of the Savencia facility was
supported by state tax credits.
“This is one of the most important tools in our economic
development toolbox. The EDGE program helps us compete for
investments, just like the one we’re celebrating today,”
Richards said.
Richards said companies in the EDGE program committed to invest
$2.6 billion in Illinois communities.
Charlotte Montel, Consul General of France, thanked Pritzker and
the state of Illinois.
“It’s the second time we meet in a joint press conference. It’s
always very good news because it means we have good French
announcements,” Montel said.
The announcement of 50 new jobs happened a day after preliminary
data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the
state’s year-over-year unemployment rate has gone up.
The statewide unemployment rate last month was 4.8%, up from
4.4% in December 2024. The national unemployment rate was 4.4%
in December.
|
|
