Illinois lawmakers pass budget but fail to reach Bears stadium deal

What they're saying: "There's a lot of work still ahead of us," Speaker Chris Welch said as the session ended. "We'll continue discussions on a number of issues, including our approach to the Bears stadium question, this summer."

The intrigue: After months of negotiations, lawmakers watched their "megaprojects" bill, which would have given the Bears potential stadium project tax incentives, fall apart Saturday.

• Lawmakers instead tried to advance a separate bill allowing Cook County municipalities with a population of 70,000 or more to create stadium authorities to negotiate directly with teams. Because the stadiums would be publicly owned, though privately financed by teams, they would be exempt from property taxes.
• The bill passed the Senate at 3am, but the House adjourned before taking up a vote.

What's next: "We will finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond, and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated. We will provide an update when we have a decision to share," the Chicago Bears said in a statement.

• Gov. JB Pritzker could call a special session this summer to hammer out a deal, but if not, the General Assembly will not meet again until November.

Meanwhile, the budget includes more money for social services, including food assistance in the wake of the Trump administration's rollback on SNAP benefits.

• The legislature also paused a planned 1.3-cent gas tax increase that was set to take effect July 1. It will begin in January instead.

Reality check: The spending plan is the largest in the state's history. Democrats voted for several new taxes on prediction markets, cryptocurrency, fantasy sports, social media and digital ads.

• "This budget raises about $800 million in taxes and borrows another $600 million for the Democrats' projects that Illinois children will be paying off for many years to come," Republican Sen. John Curran said in a statement.

Here are a few other bills that passed at the end of the session:

• Lawmakers approved Pritzker's proposal to ban cellphone use throughout the school day in public and charter schools. The policy would take effect in fall 2027.
• The passage of the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act further cements Illinois' status as a leader in protecting reproductive rights and gender-affirming care. The law allows patients in Illinois and other states to keep medical records related to abortion care separate from their other medical information unless they choose to share those records with a health care provider.
• Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias scored a win with Senate Bill 714, hailing it as "sweeping auto insurance reforms." Giannoulias pushed for more regulation after accusing insurance companies of setting rates based on factors beyond a driver's record.
• States across the country are wrestling with how AI affects daily life, and Illinois lawmakers sought to put guardrails around the technology through legislation requiring major AI companies to establish safety standards. The measure also allows third parties to audit those standards.
• Lawmakers passed the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act aimed at protecting minors from addictive online environments by regulating algorithms and limiting time spent on sites.
• E-bike regulation passed both chambers, adding new rules for age requirements while enforcing rules surrounding riding on sidewalks or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.