All articles tagged with #illinois general assembly
Illinois lawmakers adjourned the spring session without voting on HB 958, a bill to let municipalities create stadium authorities to privately finance a publicly owned Chicago Bears stadium. The proposal would affect sites including Arlington Heights and Hammond, while Chicago touts a public-ownership framework; the Bears said they will continue evaluating options and timelines.
The Chicago Bears expressed their hopes for a "consensus" in getting a recently proposed bill passed for their stadium in Arlington Heights, but it won't be brought in front of the legislature during this session. House Bill 610 involves a few initiatives for the project, including the freezing of property tax assessments on the Arlington Park site while imposing a $3 ticket tax to help pay off the remaining debt on the 2002-2003 renovation of Soldier Field. The Bears look forward to building a consensus for a strong piece of legislation that can pass the general assembly and head to Governor Pritzker's desk for his approval.
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson addressed the Illinois General Assembly, laying out his Springfield agenda, which includes expanding jobs, improving public security, and building more affordable housing. Johnson emphasized that Chicago and Springfield can work together and that public safety is a prerequisite to the prosperity of Chicago. He also called for changes in the state's school aid formula and raising the share of state income tax receipts that go to municipalities. Johnson did not directly mention his top Springfield priority of winning permission to raise the city's real estate transfer tax by imposing a surcharge on the sale of property worth at least $1 million.