LANSING – A bill to provide up to $100 million in tax credits to firms that have offered to build an advanced battery and solar energy complex on the site of the shuttered Ford Motor Company Wixom plant won easy approval Wednesday from the Michigan House.

With the 90-17 vote, HB 5275 goes to the Senate, which is considering companion legislation that would increase the number of tax credits that the Michigan Economic Growth Authority can offer this year. The Senate also is pushing for legislation requiring MEGA to report more information to the Legislature about its activities, but it remains pending in the House.

The bill enables the firms to claim credits equal to 50 percent of their capital investment in the project, up to $25 million a year for four years if they create at least 300 jobs.

“By moving our state to the forefront of these emerging industries, we’re ensuring that Michigan workers will build the solar panels and battery components to power the 21st century,” Rep. Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield), the bill sponsor, said in a statement.

Some conservative House Republicans objected to the bill.

“This is a $100 million tax increase,” said Rep. Justin Amash (R-Kentwood). “When we give up these credits, we either need to reduce spending or we need to increase taxes on our small businesses.”

Rep. Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) sought to amend the bill to increase the number of jobs the companies are required to create to qualify for the full tax credit, but majority Democrats rejected the measure. The companies had publicly said their project would create 4,000 jobs.

McMillin said the approach is costing the state millions for relatively few jobs.

“People don’t understand that we are cutting checks” with these credits, he said.

And Sen. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi) questioned why House Democrats continue to bury SB 70 and SB 71 , which contain transparency language.

“Why won’t the House Democrats support transparency?” Cassis, the Senate Finance Committee chair, said in a statement. “What are they afraid of?”

HOUSE OKS SUPPLEMENTAL: A supplemental funding bill for the 2008-09 fiscal year passed the House on Wednesday on a mostly party-line vote.

The bill would add $10 million general fund to the Department of Corrections and swaps $170.5 million between the higher education and Department of Human Services budgets as part of a technical move enabling the state to receive additional federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funding.

The additional funding for Corrections would include $5 million for additional health care costs. The other $5 million in general fund replaces restricted funding that comes from parole and probation oversight fees that have yielded less than expected.

The bill also adds $4.8 million from prison store revenue to cover the operations of the stores rather than eliminating some positions.

Most Republicans opposed the supplemental (HB 4311 ) in the 62-45 vote. Rep. John Proos (R-St. Joseph) said the Department of Corrections clearly needs more oversight to address cost overruns.

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