The Illinois General Assembly adjourned its spring legislative session without approving a final proposal related to a potential new Chicago Bears stadium and surrounding development.
In the final weeks of session, lawmakers considered two separate proposals related to the Bears and large-scale economic development projects. The first was a broader “megaprojects” package that included a series of economic development incentives. A later, more limited, proposal focused specifically on the stadium project and was intended to address some of the concerns raised about the earlier plan.
Neither proposal reached the Governor’s desk before lawmakers adjourned.
Senate Republicans said the proposals raised serious questions about transparency, taxpayer protections, and the potential impact on local property tax bills.
Concerns remained with both versions of the legislation. The broader megaprojects proposal raised questions about the long-term impact of offering significant tax incentives at a time when Illinois homeowners already face some of the highest property taxes in the nation. Lawmakers also expressed concern that the measure lacked strong safeguards to ensure project costs would not be shifted onto local homeowners.
The later stadium-focused proposal also drew criticism after it was filed shortly before midnight and voted on just a few hours later, giving lawmakers, taxpayers, and stakeholders little time to review the legislation. While the original proposal included provisions intended to provide funding support for local communities and schools, the revised version would have eliminated property taxes on the stadium project completely, raising further concerns about how the change could affect local communities, schools, and homeowners.
A few days after the final adjournment of the spring legislative session, the Bears announced that their Board had taken a vote to move forward with plans to build their new stadium in Indiana. While she supports keeping the Bears in Illinois, State Senator Sue Rezin says any plan involving major tax incentives or changes to local revenue must be transparent, carefully reviewed, and structured to protect taxpayers.