Chicago Bears stadium legislation is stalled after questions arose about a potentially unpopular tax structure and financial risk for taxpayers.
Speaking at the Illinois Capitol on Monday, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch explained why a bill providing for a publicly-owned, property tax-exempt stadium was not called for a vote before the legislature adjourned, ending its spring session.
“To pass a bill about the Bears, just being about the Bears, the votes weren’t there,” Welch said.
An amended version of House Bill 958 passed the Senate earlier on Monday.
“We didn’t have time to find out what other folks thought of the bill. I need to have some feedback from our members before asking them to vote for it on the floor,” Welch said.
The bill called for a publicly-owned stadium that would pay no property taxes. It would establish a municipal stadium authority to own a facility the Bears could build in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Cicero, Evanston or Schaumburg.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he believes a business like the Bears should get incentives that are similar to those offered to other businesses.
“The reality is I wasn’t willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money in order to give it to a billionaire-owned team,” Pritzker said.
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