An incentive package to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois crumbled on the eve of the last day of session, giving Illinois lawmakers mere hours to cobble together a deal to keep the NFL team from fleeing to Indiana.
The bill would have allowed the Bears to negotiate a payment in lieu of property taxes for a new stadium in Arlington Heights, a suburb of Chicago. But it hit a snag in the Senate, local news outlets reported, in part because of resistance from Chicago lawmakers who don’t want to incentivize the team to leave the city where they’ve played for decades.
With the Illinois legislature set to adjourn at the end of the day May 31, the breakdown of the incentive package could make Indiana’s offer — state-backed bonds for a stadium in Hammond, repaid by new local taxes — more appealing.
Here’s where things stand ahead of what could be the penultimate moment in a months-long race to woo the NFL team:
Can Illinois beat the clock to best Indiana deal?
After the Bears announced they wanted to stop renting Chicago’s Soldier Field and instead build a “world-class stadium” in Arlington Heights or Indiana, lawmakers in Indiana hurried to sweeten the pot for the team by passing a law that would help fund the stadium.
In February, the Bears said they were “committed to finishing the remaining site-specific, necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium” in northwest Indiana and would pledge $2 billion for the effort, though the team stopped short of a formal deal.
The momentum in Indiana spurred a new sense of urgency in Illinois, which passed a revamped version of their incentives package through the House in April.
“We welcome the progress made on the (Illinois) House’s version of the mega project bill; however, additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project,” Scott Hagel, spokesperson for the Chicago Bears, said in a statement to IndyStar at the time. “We support Illinois leaders as they determine the path forward to making the essential changes to the mega project bill and aligning on infrastructure funding.”
But the efforts appeared to break down May 30, as progressive lawmakers expressed skepticism of offering tax breaks to wealthy businesses, and some Chicago legislators refused to close the door on keeping the Bears in the city. Both the team and Gov. JB Pritzker have dismissed the idea as an option, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“From day one, there has always been a Chicago problem with the Bears proposal,” Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Up against a deadline, Illinois legislators are expected to file a new bill May 31 but will also have to wrap up a $56 million spending plan.
Bills can still pass after the deadline, according to FOX32, but would require the already controversial effort to clear a higher threshold of support.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, meanwhile, has said Hoosiers have the upper hand in the negotiations with the Bears, putting the odds at 65-35 in Indiana’s favor in an interview with Fox News.
The team’s leadership said in April that a decision will be made by late spring or early summer. A spokesperson for the Bears could not be immediately reached for comment.
This story may be updated.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Illinois’ Chicago Bears deal hits last-minute snag. Where things stand
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
