SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday legislation that passed through the Illinois House last week to help the Chicago Bears move to Arlington Heights “is within the framework” of a deal that the team would be willing to agree to, while acknowledging the bill needs changes as it moves through the Senate.
With the Illinois Senate in session this week, its lawmakers would likely have in-person discussions about what direction to take the bill before the legislature’s scheduled adjournment on May 31.
But the Bears, who are weighing whether to build a new multibillion-dollar stadium in the northwest suburb or relocate to Hammond, Indiana, have indicated that the bill, as currently written, would not be useful in helping the team build in Arlington Heights.
“Within the legislation that was passed was the deal that the Bears are willing to accept, that it’s good for the taxpayers, which is what I want,” Pritzker said while speaking to reporters at the ribbon-cutting for a Springfield sports complex. “There were also things that were added on top of that that I think are not great for the taxpayers and that we probably need to make some changes to and most importantly, that won’t work for the Bears.”
“We want the Bears to stay in Illinois. So that deal, I think, is within the framework of what passed the House,” he said. “We’ve got to see if the Senate is able to make the changes that are necessary while keeping some of the things that the House wanted to have in that bill.”
On April 22, the bill passed the House 78-32, with 10 Republicans joining the Democratic supermajority in support. There were, however, a few Democrats who opposed the measure.
After it cleared that chamber, the Bears issued a statement acknowledging progress in the legislative process but signaling the team doesn’t support the bill as written, saying that “additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project.”
The plan requires the Bears and other developers of so-called megaprojects to negotiate with local governments over payments in lieu of higher property taxes based on updated assessments. But one point of contention with the current bill concerns a provision intended to grant property tax relief to residents near a megaproject site and how workable it would be for the Bears and the various taxing bodies, including school districts.
The provision would require a municipality that hosts a megaproject to deposit half of the negotiated special payment into a locally held property tax relief fund. From there, 60% of the money would be used for property tax rebates for homeowners in areas where the megaproject is located, while 40% would be deposited into a statewide property tax relief fund.
So far, two state senators told the Tribune they’re open to considering the new legislation, but one raised concerns that it could negatively affect the school districts surrounding the Arlington Heights site.
Pritzker has also noted that the Bears want to ensure there’s no amusement tax provision that negatively affects the team. While an amusement tax is mentioned in the House bill, its main sponsor, state Rep. Kam Buckner of Chicago, has downplayed concerns that it would affect or even apply to a Bears stadium.
On Tuesday, Pritzker stood by his position that a deal needs to be done “as fast as possible” without giving a specific deadline.
“Well, soon is what I would say is the best thing to do in part because, look, we’re competing, right? We have to be competitive here. We want to make sure that the Bears see Illinois as the best alternative for them, and that they have something that they can make a decision about that’s in front of them,” Pritzker said.
“You’ve got to go through both the House and the Senate. It takes time to get those things done,” he said. “I wish it took less time, but I understand that you’ve got to make sure you got all the votes and you’ve got all the provisions in it that are workable for both sides on this.”
Gorner reported from Chicago.
