Sunday night deadline for Illinois lawmakers to pass budget bill aimed at keeping Bears in Illinois
Time is ticking for Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in the state.
Sunday night is the deadline before the spring session ends for the Illinois General Assembly. Legislators need to get the votes required to pass the so-called "megaprojects bill" and get it to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk.
Some lawmakers in Springfield have been talking about potential significant changes to the bill, as they hope to avoid fumbling this chance to keep the team in Illinois. It seems lawmakers are hitting roadblocks at every turn.
Republicans say their concerns are over the bill's potential impacts on property owners.
"In order to boost economic investment in the state, and keeping our proud NFL franchise, we can't punish property taxpayers in the area," said Illinois Senate Minority Leader Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove).
GOP legislators say they feel the only way for the legislation to be approved by the deadline Sunday night is to focus only on the Bears stadium and not to include language for other statewide projects.
"This is too late in the session to do a statewide megaprojects bill where you don't know what might be going in there," Curran said. "This is too late in the session for that, so at this point you would be looking at just the Bears."
Democrats are worried about the impact on local tax revenue, while Chicago legislators want the state to leave the option open for keeping the team in the city —something that the Bears say is not going to happen, and that Gov. Pritzker has also ruled out.
"The Bears will make the choice that makes the most sense for them and their organization, but what I want to make sure is that they are very clear that where they belong is here in the state of Illinois and not in Indiana," said Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago).
Buckner said lawmakers have been focusing on moves in Springfield to keep the Bears in Illinois and away from Indiana, with the Bears organization coming out last week with a statement calling Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond, Indiana, the only two sites under consideration for a new stadium.
On top of all the Bears talk, the legislature still has to pass the state budget.
The deadline is Sunday night at midnight, and that's partly why the Bears bill has not made much progress so far.
There was some progress. Lawmakers were able to send some legislation for Gov. Pritzker's signature.
Among them, property tax reform, which was praised tonight by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Treasurer Maria Pappas. Also passing was a bill to rename the Cook County portion of I-57 the Jesse L. Jackson Senior Expressway. That bill is also awaiting the governor's signature.
