IL House Passes Bears Stadium Tax Breaks

The Illinois House passed a bill Wednesday night, April 22, that would give the Chicago Bears property-tax breaks aimed at enabling a new Arlington Heights stadium, voting 78-32. (wgntv.com) The measure is House Bill 910 — the so‑called “megaprojects” bill — and it cleared the full House after the Revenue & Finance Committee sent it forward on a 15-5 vote earlier that day. (cbsnews.com) Under the amended proposal, qualifying “megaprojects” could freeze property tax assessments for decades and negotiate long-term payments in lieu of taxes, with tiered assessment-freeze windows reported from about 25 to 45 years. (cbsnews.com) The Chicago Bears said in a statement after the vote that they “welcome the progress” but that “additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project.” (nprillinois.org) The vote comes as Indiana has moved aggressively to lure the team — lawmakers there approved a framework and officials say the state could contribute up to $1 billion toward a Hammond stadium. (nbcchicago.com) House sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner called the bill a tool for statewide economic development, saying “this bill says Illinois is not going to sit back and watch other states build the future,” while Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office called Wednesday’s House vote “an important step.” (chicago.suntimes.com) The bill now goes to the Illinois Senate when it returns next week, where senators and the governor could further amend the language before any final deal with the Bears is complete. (capitolnewsillinois.com)