Political leaders moved Wednesday to block Indiana’s effort to lure the Chicago Bears to a proposed domed stadium in Hammond by passing a “Megaprojects” bill.
Lawmakers approved the measure 78-32, giving large tax breaks and financial incentives tied to a potential $2 billion stadium project in Arlington Heights, where the Bears already own land.
The plan freezes property taxes, reduces the team’s tax burden by tens of millions of dollars, and directs money toward nearby infrastructure upgrades.
After the vote, the Bears said more changes are still needed before they commit to moving forward with the Arlington Heights site.
State Rep. Kam Buckner said he worked through the night on the legislation as lawmakers rushed to move it before the spring session ends May 31. He said he expected the bill to reach a House committee vote Wednesday, and it did.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers pushed for language in the bill to ensure large developments do not pull money away from public schools.
Supporters say the goal is to keep the Bears in Illinois.
The measure now moves to the state Senate, where leaders, along with Governor JB Pritzker, are still reviewing changes made in the House version of the bill.
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The Bears were never moving to Indiana, this whole thing was just the Bears organization using Indiana to coerce more concessions out of Illinois.
It’s a good thing too, these sports arenas NEVER recoup the costs of the lavish tax breaks and incentives the governments give them. The entire practice should be illegal at a national level, and not just for stadiums.