By Brenden Moore and Ben Szalinski | Capitol News Illinois
Despite a Hail Mary heave from the Illinois Senate in the final hours of the spring legislative session, state lawmakers ultimately failed to reach the end zone on a bill incentivizing the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in Illinois.
The Senate voted to approve the amended measure 37-17 with bipartisan support around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning after working through the night. Acknowledging the late hour, Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, the bill’s sponsor, said just before the vote that “some of the best, most memorable victories have been in double or triple overtime.”
But across the rotunda nearly an hour later, the House adjourned without taking up the Senate proposal. House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, told members that “there’s a lot of work still ahead of us.”
“We’ll continue discussions on a number of issues, including our approach to the Bears stadium question, this summer,” Welch said.
In a brief interview with Capitol News Illinois after the House adjourned, Welch said he believes the legislature will tackle the stadium question “sooner than later,” but not in a special session. He also defended the decision not to move forward with a vote on the hastily crafted bill.
“I think our caucus is used to processes,” Welch said. “Our caucus is used to taking our time and doing it right.”
But in a statement released minutes later, the Bears said they have no plans to adjust their timeline for deciding on a future home. The team has a standing offer from Indiana to move across the state line to Hammond.
Report continues here.
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