Deadline Approaching for Illinois Lawmakers to Pass Budget Bill Aimed at Keeping Bears in Illinois
Lawmakers are weighing alternative incentives and a Chicago option after Senate support fell short for the Bears’ property-tax deal, officials said.
- Illinois lawmakers stalled on a "megaprojects" tax incentive bill intended to keep the Chicago Bears in the state as the Sunday midnight legislative deadline nears, with Senate sponsor Bill Cunningham conceding it lacks the necessary support to pass.
- Chicago lawmakers remain reluctant to back a plan allowing the team to move to Arlington Heights, demanding reciprocal investments in Soldier Field and the Museum Campus in exchange for supporting tax breaks the Bears seek.
- Senate Republican Leader John Curran suggested narrowing the legislation to apply exclusively to the Bears, saying "this is too late in the session to do a statewide megaprojects bill where you don't know what might be going in there."
- Roughly $56 billion in state spending remains the legislature's primary focus, with Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker continuing to meet with leaders to finalize the budget before the Sunday deadline overshadows the Bears negotiations.
- If no agreement on a stadium deal is reached by midnight Sunday, a special legislative session could be called, though sources indicate alternative ideas are being discussed to provide the Bears with the "tax certainty" they seek.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Hail Mary effort to keep Bears in Illinois centers around local stadium authority – Capitol News IL
Two sources close to negotiations confirmed that legislation is being crafted that would enable local governments to set up their own stadium authorities — a mechanism that would allow the Bears to escape paying property taxes altogether.
Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » Isabel’s morning briefingCapitolFax.com
* ICYMI: Bears’ megaprojects stadium bill breaks down day before Illinois legislative deadline. Sun-Times… Lawmakers’ drive for legislation intended to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois stalled out late Saturday with barely a day left in Springfield’s legislative session, as a key Senate negotiator conceded his chamber’s caucus won’t support the property-tax incentive bill the [...]
Journal Gazette & Times-Courier
Muscatine JournalIllinois lawmakers race to finalize $55B budget as Bears stadium talks take back seat on final day of session
With one day left before adjournment deadline, Illinois lawmakers worked to formulate a limited package of tax increases and revenue diversions to finance a state budget of over $55 billion.
Bears' megaprojects stadium bill breaks down day before Illinois legislative deadline
SPRINGFIELD — Lawmakers' drive for legislation intended to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois stalled out late Saturday with barely a day left in Springfield's legislative session, as a key Senate negotiator conceded his chamber's caucus won't support the property-tax incentive bill the team says it needs to prevent their move to Hammond, Indiana. State Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, said legislators were still hammering out alternative econom…
Illinois lawmakers reassess megaprojects bill. Might the Bears stay in Chicago?
Illinois lawmakers overnight said they don't seem to have the votes to pass the megaprojects bill that the Bears want to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, according to multiple outlets.
Deadline approaching for Illinois lawmakers to pass budget bill aimed at keeping Bears in Illinois
Discussions will continue through Sunday, with some lawmakers in Springfield talking about potential significant changes to the bill, as they hope to avoid fumbling this chance to keep the team here in Illinois.
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