Pritzker wants Illinois Senate to move on Mega Projects bill ‘soon,’ but hurdles remain
Pritzker wants Illinois lawmakers to move on Bears stadium bill, but hurdles remain
While Gov. JB Pritzker and other state and local officials have continued to push for the passage of the so-called Mega Projects bill, which the Chicago Bears argue is necessary to build a new suburban stadium, it appears that’s unlikely to happen without some changes to the version passed by the House of Representatives last week.
CHICAGO - While Gov. JB Pritzker and other state and local officials have continued to push for the passage of the so-called Mega Projects bill, which the Chicago Bears argue is necessary to build a new suburban stadium, it appears that’s unlikely to happen without some changes to the version passed by the House of Representatives last week.
The measure would essentially allow the Bears to get a break on their property taxes to build a stadium in Arlington Heights that is estimated to generate thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact.
Bears leadership said they will choose between Arlington Heights and a site in Hammond, Indiana, sometime between this spring and early summer. Indiana lawmakers already passed a measure that creates new taxes to pay for the construction of a stadium.
What we know:
The House bill, HB 910, made its way to the Senate, but it’s not likely to be voted on fully this week, according to a spokesperson for the Democratic caucus, which is in the majority.
"We’re going to review what the House passed, gather input from senators and stakeholders and assess the path forward. There’s plenty of time built into the process for that," said spokesman John Patterson, on Tuesday.
But the Senate is only in session through Thursday of this week, and then most weekdays in May. The deadline to pass House bills out of committee is Friday, May 8, according to the Senate’s calendar. The Senate adjourns its regular legislative session on May 31.
In that short time, lawmakers will have to resolve several issues with the version of the bill the House passed, according to Gov. JB Pritzker, who was asked about the issue at an unrelated event on Tuesday.
Vehicles are parked in office building lots west of the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on April 21, 2026. The vacant land is the possible future site of a new stadium for the Chicago Bears. (John J. Kim/Chic
"Within the legislation that was passed was the deal that the Bears are willing to accept, that it’s good for the taxpayers, which is what I want," Pritzker said. "There were also things that were added on top of that that I think are not great for the taxpayers and that we probably need to make some changes to, and most importantly, that won’t work for the Bears."
What they're saying:
When asked about the specific issues with the House bill, he said there were too many, both large and small, to list, but he gave one example of an amusement tax which is of "great concern to the Bears." The governor said that would likely have to be removed from whatever version the Senate passes.
State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), who spearheaded the passage of the bill through the House, told Fox Chicago that the provision related to an amusement tax was not meant to apply to Chicago or Arlington Heights. The bill would give smaller municipalities throughout the state to impose an amusement tax if they took advantage of another program within the measure.
Municipalities like Chicago and Arlington Heights can already levy an amusement tax because they have home rule authority, which is mostly given to larger cities and villages.
"Clearly, what we need to do here is straighten up this language here, tighten it up, so folks can understand what it's about and what it's not about," Buckner said.
Still, Buckner said nothing that was included in the House bill should have caught people off guard, but he was "totally confident that we're going to land in the right place."
If the Senate amends the bill, it would then have to go back to the House for approval before being signed into law by Pritzker.
When asked what other types of issues the Bears organization had with the House bill, a spokesperson declined to comment.
Still, Pritzker advocated for the bill to get done, "Soon is what I would say is the best thing to do, in part because, look, we’re competing, right? We have to be competitive here. We want to make sure that the Bears see Illinois as the best alternative for them and that they have something that they can make a decision about that’s in front of them. So as fast as possible is what I’m advocating for."
The governor struck an upbeat tone despite the seemingly multiple issues to resolve and the interests to balance.
"That’s the legislative process," Pritzker said. "You know that that could be like sausage making. Maybe something you don’t want to watch, but in the end, hopefully a bill that will work for the taxpayers and for the Chicago Bears."
Fox Chicago has also reached out to Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) for comment on the status of the bill, but had not heard back as of Wednesday morning.