As Indiana lawmakers mull a bill to try luring the Chicago Bears to their state, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says progress has been made to keep the team in Illinois.
Several individuals close to negotiations between the Bears and Illinois lawmakers say talks are happening nearly every day according to NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern, and there is growing belief that there is momentum toward keeping the Bears in the state.
“There’s a lot of discussion, a lot of ongoing conversation with the Bears,” Pritzker said Monday. “(There’s) frankly progress that’s been made, so I’m pleased about that.”
That news comes as Indiana lawmakers debate a bill that would empower a newly created sports commission to negotiate a deal with the Bears to construct a stadium in the northwest part of the state. That deal would lock the Bears into a long-term lease and would help finance construction of the stadium through a bond issue, with the Senate passing the measure in January.
Those discussions are occurring as Illinois lawmakers debate whether to pass a measure to lock in property tax rates for the Bears and other large businesses, with the team also pursuing assistance with infrastructure improvements around a stadium site in suburban Arlington Heights.
Pritzker is aiming not to overpromise on what the state will assist the Bears with, while Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia, a proponent of a measure to lock in property tax rates, says that the decision for the Bears is ultimately going to come down to his village or northwest Indiana.
“The lakeshore is fabulous. It’s a wonderful area. I know it’s sad to think about them leaving Chicago, and that was part of the angst at the beginning of this dialogue, but I think we’re past that now,” he said. “I think it’s either Arlington Heights or northwest Indiana at this point.”
The timing of discussions in Illinois could be accelerated by Indiana’s legislative calendar, which has their session ending in mid-March.
While Pritzker is scheduled to deliver his State of the State address this week, Illinois lawmakers are in session through the end of May, with budget negotiations likely taking up a large chunk of that time.
Tinaglia says that the state may not have until the end of May to lock in a deal with the Bears if Indiana moves quickly enough.
“Now if the Indiana lawmakers are going to move really fast on it, that’s going to play well for the Bears. We don’t have time to waste because they don’t have time to waste,” he said.
While some critics have called the Bears’ interest in an Indiana site a negotiating ploy, Pritzker insists he takes the possibility very seriously as negotiations continue.
“I never take anything as a bluff. I’m always concerned about attracting businesses or keeping businesses in the state of Illinois,” he said.