Chicago Bears: Democrats make pivot to raise taxes amid stadium legislation

The Chicago Bears have expressed their skepticism about a megaprojects bill that passed in the Illinois House last month.

More News: ‘Wrench’ thrown into Arlington Heights hope via Illinois Senate

The Bears would like to see amendments added in the Senate to a bill that would aid the team in property taxes for a new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Amid the Senate’s decision to stall discussions on the measure, the team has met with the NFL Stadium Council about the location in Illinois and Hammond, Indiana. The Bears are set to meet with the council again in two weeks after the league suggested the team needed to make a decision with haste.

While the Bears would like to see Illinois move faster, some Democrat lawmakers think the team is getting too much focus in Springfield during the spring session.

Democrats want to raise taxes amid bill to help Chicago Bears

They’re calling for tax increases on the wealthy to help the state spend on social services amid a forecasted budget deficit and calling out lawmakers for focusing on the Bears instead of other more pressing issues for citizens.

Via Rich Miller of the Chicago-Sun Times:

“Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, for example, had this to say about the House action on Bears/megaprojects and its refusal to take up a millionaire’s income tax surcharge: ‘Illinois families were told there was not enough time to ask the wealthiest few to pay more.

Yet there was time to move a Bears package that even the Bears management themselves say still needs changes. When Springfield decides something is urgent, it finds the time. Working families deserve to be treated as urgent too.’”

ChiCitySports has received numerous messages from taxpayers of Illinois that they’d rather the Bears do not receive tax breaks, as ordinary citizens have to pay their share of taxes while trying to budget their incomes.

Amid those concerns, Gov. JB Pritzker has to balance the potential embarrassment of Illinois, under his watch, losing the Bears to Indiana. It’s a quagmire that will be talked about plenty this month, regardless of whether Democrats can raise taxes to fund social services.

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