Illinois lawmakers race to pass budget, Bears stadium deal before session ends
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Lawmakers are preparing for a marathon weekend in Springfield as they race to pass a deal to keep the Bears in Illinois.
Why it matters: The General Assembly must close a budget gap, navigate pressure over taxes and spending, and decide whether Illinois will offer incentives to keep the Bears from potentially leaving the state.
The big picture: While lawmakers are expected to pass a budget in the final hours of the session, many of the biggest decisions are still being negotiated behind closed doors.
Gov. JB Pritzker proposed a roughly $56 billion spending plan that includes:
- $250 million for his BUILD housing initiative.
- $500 million for the ongoing Quantum Park development on Chicago's Southeast Side.
What we're watching: Lawmakers still need to find roughly $150 million in additional revenue or spending cuts to balance the budget.
- Progressive Democrats are pushing for new taxes on wealthy residents, Republicans are calling for spending cuts, and lawmakers in both parties are eyeing a delay to the state's scheduled gas tax increase.
- Chicago leaders are also lobbying Springfield for additional CPS funding as the district faces a projected $732 million budget deficit next year.
Friction point: The Bears' stadium incentive package remains in limbo.
- The proposal — which would offer tax breaks tied to a new stadium development — has stalled since the House passed a version of the bill in April.
The intrigue: The measure has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, including from the Cook County Treasurer's office, which said this week the package could deliver up to $1.5 billion in tax breaks over the next four decades.
- Now, Senate Democrats appear to be scaling back the proposal. Crain's reported that lawmakers are considering narrowing the bill so that incentives would apply only to the Bears project rather than to broader developments statewide.
Reality check: Even if Democrats easily pass a budget through their supermajority, it's far less clear whether lawmakers can reach a deal the Bears will accept.
The bottom line: The Bears suggested they would decide between Arlington Heights or Hammond, Indiana, soon. The decision seems to hinge on whether lawmakers can secure a deal for them by Monday.