Thursday could be the most pivotal day yet in the quest to find the future home of the Chicago Bears, as both Indiana and Illinois may move forward with legislation that would be the first big steps in getting a stadium deal done.
In Indiana, Senate Bill 27 — legislation that lays the framework to build and pay for a new stadium — will be up for a final vote. And in Illinois, a House committee in Springfield will hold a hearing on a bill that would bring the Bears more certainty around property tax in Arlington Heights.
As the legislative sessions get underway, here’s where things stand both states.
Where a Bears’ stadium stands in Indiana
Indiana Senate Republicans announced State Sen. Ryan Mishler will call Senate Bill 27, the bill that establishes the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, for a final vote during the Senate session Thursday.
The legislation, which proposes a stadium in Hammond near Wolf Lake, already cleared the Indiana House last week.
“Leadership in Northwest Indiana has shown the Chicago Bears that this is the most important project for us right now in Indiana,” said Phil Taillon, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
In a statement released after the bill cleared the House, the Bears said the team was “committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.”
“We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe,” the statement continued. “We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”
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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has signaled he would sign the bill after it passed both houses.
“I really have a lot of faith in Indiana right now. I know we’re putting the best deal forward. The leadership in Indiana has by far been very proactive and aggressive as far as making sure we’re meeting every milestone that we need to be successful,” Taillon said.
The Gary Chicago International Airport also hopes a stadium deal will take flight. The airport is a 10 to 15 minute drive from the proposed site in Hammond.
“We’ve been working very hard the last couple of years (in hopes) of returning commercial passenger service here at the airport. I think it would only help,” said Dan Vicari, executive director of the Gary Chicago International Airport. “For the last 10 years, we’ve been doing everything from extending our main runway to nearly 9,000 feet, making it the second longest runway in all of Chicagoland, just behind O’Hare. We can handle any type of aircraft, any size.”
Where a Bears’ stadium stands in Illinois
In Illinois Thursday, a House committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would solidify property tax at the former Arlington Racetrack, the property the Bears already own in Arlington Heights.
The measure is considered a critical component to Illinois’ pitch to keep the team, locking in property tax rates and taking a step toward the Bears constructing a stadium on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse.
While Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed optimism about the state of negotiations with the team, he is making it clear that he intends for any deal to be fair for taxpayers.
“I was a businessman before I was governor. I can tell you because I’ve been involved with a lot of business deals over the years, I’m not going to be shaken down,” he told Chris Hayes on MSNOW’s “All In With Chris Hayes.” “We’re not going to fleece the taxpayers of Illinois. We’re not going to let the Bears do that. If we do something that supports the Bears, which we are working very hard on, it’s not going to be something that costs our taxpayers the way it’s going to cost Indiana taxpayers.”
Pritzker has been critical of the Indiana legislation, which would raise several taxes on Indiana residents. The bill would assess a 1% food and beverage tax surcharge on purchases in Lake and Porter counties, and would also double Lake County’s hotel tax from 5% to 10%.
The bill would also assess a 12% tax on tickets purchased to events at the venue.
The legislation would give the Bears up to $1 billion in incentives to construct their new stadium in Hammond.
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