All articles tagged with #stadium bill
After the Illinois House punts on a stadium bill for the Chicago Bears, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’s prepared to own the Bears’ possible departure from Illinois, underscoring how the stalled measure could push the team to relocate and place political accountability on lawmakers.
With the Illinois legislative session nearing its May 31 deadline, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s confident a bill to keep the Chicago Bears from moving to Indiana will be brought up and possibly passed, as the team weighs Chicago-area options (Arlington Heights) versus Hammond, Indiana and Indiana’s leverage remains a factor.
Illinois lawmakers are hashing HB0910, the Megaprojects Bill to keep the Chicago Bears in the state, but the Senate is unlikely to pass it as-is. After the House approved it, the Bears demanded amendments to make Arlington Heights feasible, and Chicago was officially eliminated as a site. A key sticking point is the PILOT property-tax relief mechanism, with the Senate wanting to keep it while the Bears oppose, arguing it risks higher local taxes unless structuring is favorable. Projections estimate a $10–12 million annual PILOT, with roughly half staying in Arlington Heights for development and local relief, and the rest funneled statewide; critics say the Bears shouldn’t control that money. The decision timeline remains tied to end-of-May adjournment, with Indiana seen as a contender if a deal stalls.
Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager criticized Governor Lombardo's decision to call a special session on a massive ballpark bill and its timing, as at least one other lawmaker has voiced concerns about costs to taxpayers. Yeager said that the sudden sense of urgency was surprising because there seemed to be no sense of urgency about this during the regular session. Each day of a special session costs $250,000, and Yeager and other lawmakers were opposed to rapidly convening for a second special session.
The Nevada Legislature adjourned until Monday without voting on a bill that would provide up to $380 million in public funding for a new Las Vegas stadium for the Oakland A's. Democratic senators expressed frustration over the lack of changes to the bill, and requested amendments addressing issues raised during the regular session. Senators were reportedly seeing amendments for the first time on Thursday and still evaluating the proposal. The delay is likely to extend the special session convened by Gov. Joe Lombardo until at least the middle of next week.