Illinois moves toward $55B budget as Bears stadium talks stall and tax tweaks loom

Illinois lawmakers unveiled a $55 billion budget funded by tax increases and revenue diversions as the session nears its year-end deadline, while Bears stadium talks stall amid Chicago opposition to Arlington Heights tax breaks and a push to keep the team in the city; negotiators are considering diverting higher-than-expected gas-tax revenue to transit and operating costs, pausing the July gas-tax increase, and pursuing additional revenue ideas (digital advertising tax, per-user tax, corporate-loss deduction cap) along with housing and data-center measures, with a 3.2% pay raise for lawmakers included in the draft budget.