SPRINGFIELD — A piece of legislation that could help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in Arlington Heights failed to move out of the Illinois House before lawmakers left Springfield.
House Bill 910 would freeze property tax assessments on sites of “megaprojects” like the Bears’ possible new stadium. It would allow developers to negotiate an annual payment with local governments instead.
Illinois Representatives will not be back until April 7 to further discuss the bill, which remains in the Illinois House. Before lawmakers left, Gov. JB Pritzker said he wanted to see lawmakers take action soon.
“I think we all feel like this needs to happen sooner rather than later,” Pritzker said on March 24 about the bill. “It is in the hands of the legislature.”
The legislation was introduced as the Bears are in talks with Indiana lawmakers to potentially move the team out of state.
Reached by The State Journal-Register, State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said some lawmakers are concerned about the assessed value of properties like the potential new Bears stadium, and how the bill would work for various projects and industries across the state.
Buckner is working to compile and address legitimate concerns and questions that have been raised before creating an amendment to the bill. He has been designated as the point person for the house for the bill.
Asked if he felt pressure to get the bill passed in a timely manner to keep the team in the Land of Lincoln, Buckner said he wants to help keep the iconic franchise in the state, but his charge lies with the people in his district and state.
He said lawmakers are going to work quickly, but also deliberately “to make sure that we don’t stand up a bad deal.”
Buckner maintains that the bill would function as a statewide mechanism for economic development, and it is not solely intended to keep the Bears in the state.
Pritzker added on March 24 that his administration has worked hard to try to put forth a good deal for both the state and the football franchise.
“As you know, we’ve done a lot of work in our administration to try to put something together that will work for both the state legislature and their concerns, and the team itself. It is a pretty good deal that’s been put on the table that I think seems to have support broadly by the Bears’ ownership, and so it really now is in the hands of the house of representatives and the senate to get something done in a timely fashion.”
In mid-February, the Bears surprised Pritzker with a statement that appeared to support their possible move to northwest Indiana, concurrent with efforts from Indiana officials to advance a deal of their own.
Indiana lawmakers had announced that they had struck a deal to potentially locate the football team’s new stadium Hammond, Indiana, pending the passage of a bill.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Bill that could help Chicago Bears stay in Illinois stalls
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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