Kansas State Senator Mike Thompson Pushes Back Against China Biz

The conservative argues for national security over profit . . . Which is surprisingly unpopular with his Democratic Party critics.

Check the basics . . .

Sen. Mike Thompson made his case for the highly restrictive bill.

Thompson, a Shawnee Republican championing the proposal, invoked national security. He dismissed concerns about discrimination and said his next-door neighbors are from India, his daughter-in-law is from the Philippines and that he has Hispanic grandchildren.

“We are not singling out individual people so much as we are singling out people who have connections to these countries who do have bad intent toward us here in the United States,” Thompson said on the Senate floor.

That singling out could have economic consequences.

The proposal would potentially force the abandonment of a major economic development project underway in Johnson County. Cnano Technology, a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese firm, is building a $95 million, 333,000-square-foot facility in the business park of New Century AirCenter.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas plan 'singling out' foreign firms, citizens could block $95m Johnson County plant

"To me, they created a bill over misinformation. I think this is going to put more fear in people, and then somebody is going to get hurt," a Johnson County commissioner said.