Chicago Bears stadium talks ‘insensitive’ as lawmakers tackle cost of living, speaker says
CHICAGO - One of the top legislative leaders in Illinois called talks about state lawmakers helping the Chicago Bears build a new stadium "insensitive" as residents deal with higher costs of living.
What they're saying:
House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch made the comments during a wide-ranging discussion on Tuesday at the City Club of Chicago.
"When folks say, ‘What’s your priorities going into the legislative session?’ we’re trying to bring down the cost of living," Welch said. "Talking about a brand new Bears stadium when this one’s not even 25 years old, that’s insensitive to what real people are going through right now."
The comments came just weeks after the Bears' leadership announced they were again looking at other options to build a new stadium, even outside of Illinois in Northwest Indiana. In a letter to fans, Bears President Kevin Warren said lawmakers told the team its plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights "will not be a priority in 2026."
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Welch said that while he wished the Bears success on the field, he and his fellow lawmakers are hearing a lot more about rising costs when they speak to voters.
"This is not to be insensitive to the Bears and their ownership, but when these folks are out knocking on doors right now, they’re hearing people talk about the cost of prescription drugs, about the premiums of their health care insurance going up, grocery prices, rent. They’re talking about things related to cost of living," Welch said. "I don’t know anyone that has knocked on a door, and someone has said anything about the Chicago Bears."
The backstory:
The Bears have touted that a new stadium would bring millions of dollars of investment and thousands of new jobs to Arlington Heights and the region.
While they also pledged to finance the building of the stadium with private money, the team has also asked state lawmakers to approve legislation to help the project.
The team has lobbied lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow the team to negotiate with local governments over its property tax bills. The Bears also said they would need $855 million in public funds to pay for infrastructure costs around the stadium.
The state legislature did not pass the bill during its fall veto session last November. They instead prioritized an overhaul of the Chicago region’s transit system as agencies like Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority faced a significant fiscal cliff with the exhaustion of pandemic-era federal funds.
What's next:
State lawmakers are scheduled to return to Springfield to kick off the new legislative session later this month.