Midwest Memo: Cleveland hosts wind summit; Michigan tweaks film-credit incentives
Three stories making news across the Midwest today:
1. Cleveland hosts wind manufacturing summit. The Midwest is well-positioned to become a leader in manufacturing components for the burgeoning wind energy industry, but the region has had trouble gaining market share. In hopes of changing that dynamic, Cleveland will host a summit of more than 200 wind-industry leaders this week, according to our partner station Ideastream. Because the Midwest is already a hub for automotive and aviation manufacturers, many officials view the region as an ideal local for wind-component production.
2. Governor tweaks Michigan film incentives. The Michigan Film Office can now negotiate the size of credits offered to movie and television producers after Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill that allows for more flexibility. Currently, projects approved for credits automatically receive a 42 percent subsidy, according to partner station Michigan Radio. The new law does nothing to change a controversial $25 million cap that Snyder placed on the film-credit program for the upcoming fiscal year.
3. Illinois labor rule again under scrutiny. Illinois governor Pat Quinn would like lawmakers to reexamine the state’s labor rules for workers at McCormick Place in Chicago rather than wait for a ruling from a federal appeals court. “I don’t really want to wait on another court to make decisions,” Quinn told partner station WBEZ. “I think that often times just delays things.” The General Assembly passed legislation that allowed exhibitors to do more of their own set-ups for conventions instead of hiring union employees. Labor groups sued.