Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 24
Bears Draft Single Illinois Stadium Bill as Pritzker Offers Special Session
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 24

Bears Draft Single Illinois Stadium Bill as Pritzker Offers Special Session

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 24

Summary

  • Chicago Bears are stitching together one Illinois stadium bill from proposals that advanced in the last legislative session, aiming to win approval in both the House and Senate.
  • J.B. Pritzker said the team has asked for drafting advice and that nothing can move without specific bill language spelling out the provisions the Bears want.
  • Pritzker said he would call a special legislative session if the Bears present a single concrete bill, signaling the state is still open to an Illinois deal.
  • Indiana remains part of the pressure campaign, but Pritzker argued its plan lacks enacted taxes and tolls to fund a stadium, saying Illinois may be just as close to getting one done.

Insights

With local hurdles in both states, who truly holds the leverage in the Bears' billion-dollar stadium negotiation?
Is the Bears' Indiana plan a serious threat or a calculated bluff to force Illinois' hand on a new stadium?