Bears stadium latest: Megaprojects bill revamped as amendment to House Bill 958

Experts weigh in on the latest of megaprojects bill struggles, changes

Lawmakers in Springfield are deciding on the three b's: The budget, the BUILD plan, and the Bears.  In the last 24 hours, the megaprojects bill looks different than what house lawmakers passed last month. This change in the game plan came hours after the megaprojects bill failed to get enough support in the state senate. Senator Bill Cunningham and Marc Gains weighed in on the changes to the bill.

SPRINGFIELD - The megaprojects bill, or the Bears' stadium bill, has been filed as an amendment to House Bill 958, sources say.

State Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) and Sen. Napoleon Harris, a former professional football player, are sponsoring the bill. 

The bill dropped around 11 p.m. on Sunday, at 145 pages. 

Cunningham said he is confident it has votes to pass in the Senate, but is unsure about the House.

A key lawmaker said that the so-called "megaprojects" bill aimed at providing property tax relief to the Bears to build a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights doesn’t have sufficient support to pass the Senate.

Sen. Cunningham said. "So I think what we've done here with this bill today is establish a framework that would enable the Bears to build a stadium in the State of Illinois. This is the exact same mechanic set up in Northwest Indiana."

What the bill says:

"During the 5-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act, any home-rule municipality with a population of 70,000 or more residents that is entirely located in a county with a population of more than 3,000,000 residents may, by resolution, establish a municipal stadium authority as a political subdivision and unit of local government for the benefit of the general public and for the purpose of financing, acquiring, constructing, or improving any facility or complex of facilities that is used to hold professional sporting events, including stadiums"

Will Illinoisians have higher property taxes due to a Bears stadium?

It appears lawmakers are now considering a plan to allow municipalities start their own stadium authorities. A new stadium would be privately backed but publicly owned and that would give the bears the tax incentive that would be comparable to what Indiana is offering to lure the team across the state line. There have been a lot of closed door meetings in Springfield to try to come up with something that will get the bears to stay in Illinois. The clock is ticking. The spring legislative session ends tonight at midnight. We're joined now by Brian Costin with Americans for Prosperity Illinois.

The backstory:

The latest developments come as lawmakers are also expected to take up a number of important issues, including the budget for the next fiscal year.

The legislative session ends at midnight, although bills can pass afterward. They would just require a higher threshold for approval in the General Assembly.

This latest news also comes about three months after Indiana lawmakers swiftly passed legislation establishing funding for a potential stadium for the Bears in Hammond, which included tax hikes.

The Bears have previously said they would choose between Arlington Heights and Hammond for the site of a new stadium.