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<\/a><\/p>\nHouse Republican Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst, of Metropolis, questions Rep. Kam Buckner about his megaprojects bill on April 22, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)<\/p>\n
\u201cDo the Bears support this bill?\u201d Windhorst followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this framework is aligned with the things that they have said that they want to see from an Illinois bill,\u201d Buckner said.<\/p>\n
The team said in a statement after the vote they \u201cwelcome the progress,\u201d but will need more changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdditional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
House drove the amendment<\/p>\n
The 377-page measure<\/a> being debated Wednesday was about 10 times the length of a version a House committee passed in February<\/a>. But it\u2019s an open question as to whether other stakeholders agree with the bevy of economic development incentives that the House tacked onto the measure this week.<\/p>\n Windhorst asked Buckner whether Pritzker and the Senate support the bill. They were not consulted before the latest version of the legislation passed the House, but both will have to approve it before it can become law.<\/p>\n Buckner said he hadn\u2019t spoken personally to the governor, but that it reflects the \u201cintense, robust conversations\u201d over the past three months \u201cabout the framework that we need to put together.\u201d<\/p>\n In a measured statement, Pritzker\u2019s office also signaled that the House bill needs work.<\/p>\n \u201cToday is an important step, and the Governor\u2019s Office looks forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly to advance a bill that reflects our shared priorities,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n A key Senate lawmaker was also noncommittal about moving the measure when senators return next week.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we do with every bill the House passes to us, we will evaluate the legislation, get input from senators, and then decide what the best path forward is,\u201d Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, the Senate Democrats\u2019 top negotiator on the megaprojects bill, told Capitol News Illinois.<\/p>\n Pressure on multiple fronts<\/p>\n Nevertheless, the bill\u2019s passage represents a long-elusive sign of progress after a futile three years where the issue wasn\u2019t a priority for state lawmakers. The Bears suggested looking at the Indiana site late last year and the Hoosier State has since been used by the team and its supporters as leverage to goad Illinois into action.<\/p>\n Most of the votes came from Democrats, who cleared House Speaker Emanuel \u201cChris\u201d Welch\u2019s unofficial rule that a bill have 60 members of his caucus in support. Ten Republicans joined most Democrats to support the measure while five from the Democratic supermajority voted against it.<\/p>\n The team also appears to be getting pressure from the NFL to decide. The league\u2019s stadium committee \u2013 comprised of owners \u2013 is slated to meet April 29 to discuss the Bears\u2019 stadium situation.<\/p>\n Pritzker has also been turning up the pressure on lawmakers, telling reporters last week that he\u2019d like them \u201cto move faster\u201d and get the bill done ahead of its May 31 adjournment.<\/p>\n Unlike Indiana, Illinois\u2019 deal would not fund direct stadium construction but would allow the Bears to negotiate their property tax bill with surrounding taxing bodies for up to 40 years. The so-called \u201cmegaproject\u201d designation is not Bears-specific and would be available for all large developments on a tiered basis based on meeting certain levels of financial investment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill says Illinois is not going to sit back and watch other states build the future while we argue over yesterday\u2019s tools,\u201d Buckner said. \u201cAnd this bill gives us the chance to compete \u2013 and not compete recklessly, not compete desperately, not compete by giving away the store. This bill says we can compete with standards. We can grow with guardrails. We can welcome private investment and still demand public benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n The team said the long-term tax certainty is a prerequisite for building on the 326-acre site, which formerly housed Arlington Park racetrack. The state is also expected to kick in hundreds of millions of dollars needed for public infrastructure surrounding the proposed stadium \u2013 provisions likely to be spelled out in separate legislation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe governor certainly cannot afford for the Bears to leave the state of Illinois, and more time will cause greater expense to the tunes of billions of dollars of incentives,\u201d Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, said. \u201cSo for that reason, to stop the bleeding on incentives and taxpayers, I urge that we move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n What would the bill do?<\/p>\n The core of the bill is a provision that allows the Bears or other \u201cmegaproject\u201d developers to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, with local taxing bodies.<\/p>\n Developments would qualify for megaproject status with an investment of at least $100 million. Projects at that level could lock in property tax payments for up to 25 years. A second tier, for investments of at least $500 million, would allow a 30-year agreement. A third tier, for investments of at least $1 billion \u2014 like the Bears\u2019 proposal \u2014 would allow a 40-year agreement. Another five years could be added to projects in each tier if the megaproject site requires environmental remediation.<\/p>\n Rep. Kam Buckner presents his megaprojects bill on April 22, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)<\/p>\n While some House Democrats were hesitant to include the lowest tier, the governor\u2019s office insisted on keeping it, arguing projects in that range could have an outsized impact in downstate communities.<\/p>\n Megaprojects would also qualify for a sales tax exemption on building materials under the state\u2019s existing High Impact Business Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, opposed the bill, saying it was setting up \u201c\u201da two-tier tax system\u201d that rewards big business at the expense of everyone else.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re big and politically connected, your property taxes are frozen at three development values, your construction taxes get waived and your final tax bill gets negotiated behind closed doors,\u201d Wilhour said. \u201cBut if you\u2019re a homeowner, a farmer, a small businessperson, you pay the full value, no questions asked.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest amendment includes language aimed at winning over lawmakers hesitant to give large developers property tax breaks while cost-of-living remains a burning issue.<\/p>\n In a major change from legislation that passed committee in February, 50% of the receipts from the PILOT would go towards property tax relief. Of that, 60% would go to property tax rebates for residential homeowners in taxing districts with a megaproject and 40% would be deposited into the state\u2019s existing property tax relief fund.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a direct property tax cut for every single homeowner in the state of Illinois,\u201d said Rep. Dan Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, who called it \u201ca win, win, win, win\u201d before exclaiming \u201cTouchdown, Buckner,\u201d referencing the bill sponsor, a former University of Illinois football player.<\/p>\n However, some expressed concerns that the measure would simply lead to taxing bodies doubling their asks of the Bears and other prospective megaproject developers, sowing doubt in the attractiveness of a tool meant to incentivize economic development.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a new provision that explicitly prohibits use of the PILOT tool for data centers, which have been identified as a driver of rising energy costs and demand.<\/p>\n The bill also has an ethics component: Lawmakers and local officials would not be allowed to accept free sports tickets from a team with a megaproject deal unless that same deal is offered to the public.<\/p>\n The bill also calls for the megaproject tool to end after seven years, a sunset provision meant to allow lawmakers to reassess its effectiveness.<\/p>\n The bill does not address nearly $500 million in outstanding debt at Soldier Field from renovations that were completed in 2003. It also does not include any paths for redeveloping the stadium located in Buckner\u2019s district for its post-NFL future.<\/p>\n Beyond the Bears<\/p>\n In perhaps the most important sign of progress, about two dozen Chicago Democrats supported the bill that could ultimately end professional football in their city.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are proposals out there right now which can provide significant development opportunities while still provide preserving our beautiful lakefront,\u201d Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said. \u201cIf we utilize the tools presented in this package, this could be a game changer for Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, speaks in favor of a megaprojects bill on the Illinois House floor on Aprill 22, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)<\/p>\n The bill includes broader economic development provisions, especially for Chicago and Springfield.<\/p>\n Blighted or underused rail yards in Chicago would be eligible for their own type of megaproject aimed at redeveloping and revitalizing the yards. To be eligible, the projects must bring in $40 billion in new tax revenue over at least 40 years and increase transit ridership by 10,000 riders on average each day.<\/p>\n Such legislation could open the door to massive new projects being considered in the city such as a new White Sox stadium<\/a> being floated for an Amtrak yard along the Chicago River just south of the Loop and the One Central project<\/a> near McCormick Place.<\/p>\n The bill would also expand the state\u2019s Sales Tax and Revenue, or STAR, bond program to make communities in Cook County with more than 70,000 people eligible for the program for projects. STAR bonds could also be used for entertainment developments, increasing the types of projects eligible for the program.<\/p>\n It would establish a New Opportunities for Vacation and Adventure Urban District that would be expected to generate significant tourism, including 2 million annual visitors, $450 million average annual sales following a capital investment of at least $1 billion. Local governments would have the power to create the new economic development districts.<\/p>\n The bill would also create the Capital Area Tourism Authority and Capital City Downtown Medical District to facilitate economic development in two areas of Springfield. STAR bonds could be used in the city if the Sangamon County Board approves a hotel tax that would supply the revenue.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n