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(Des Moines, IA) -- Governor Kim Reynolds is calling a special legislative session Friday to approve state incentives for a $15-billion dollar steel plant to be built in Eastern Iowa.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds called the session a day after President Trump announced Monday Mesabi Metallics would build the facility in Lee County, creating more than 17-hundred permanent jobs, 6,000 construction positions and pumping billions into the U.S economy.
“On Friday, the legislature will return to the Iowa State Capitol to advance the most consequential economic development opportunity ever for our state,” Governor Reynolds said. “With reasonable and limited updates to an already-existing economic development program, we will accelerate major capital investment into our state, strengthen our economic trajectory, and shape the future of our state and region for generations.”
Legislative Democrats say they still have questions about the project before they sign off on the incentives.
“The Iowa Senate will gavel in for a special legislative session on Friday, and Senate Democrats are ready to go to work for Iowans,” Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) said. “Ultimately, our goal Friday will be to ensure that any final deal is in taxpayers’ best interests. We still have a number of outstanding questions regarding this project, and I am hopeful that a deliberative process will deliver the answers Iowans need.”
The plant will use iron ore from a newly developed mine in Minnesota to produce 10 million tons of steel per year.
President Trump says its the first Iron ore mine in the United States in over 50 years.
The facility is expected to begin production in 2030.