State officials are celebrating attendance at this year’s Illinois State Fair after it was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that the Springfield-based festival in August attracted 472,390. Since 2014, when the agency started formally tracking attendance, that’s second only to the 508,900 who attended in 2019.

A major push has begun in Springfield to lure investment from the fast-growing electric vehicle business with significant new financial incentives and other aid.

An initial bill was filed Monday evening by state Rep. Dave Vella, a Democrat from Loves Park whose district is just west of Stellantis’ huge Belvedere plant. Tens of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs potentially are on the table.

Legislative hearings on which Illinois congressional seat should be jettisoned will soon be announced.

The state is losing a seat in Congress for the next ten years because of population decline.