SZALINSKI’S SUMMARY: Some Illinois House Republicans say they’d vote for a megaprojects bill to help the Chicago Bears build a stadium in Arlington Heights if Democrats include broader property tax relief in their plan.
Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, is leading a group of Republicans that’s calling itself the “Property Tax Relief Conference.” He sent a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker and members of the House outlining exactly what Republicans want to see in the megaprojects bill.
GOP DEMANDS: Property tax increase referendums should only be permissible during November general elections, when turnout is highest compared to primaries or local elections, they argued. They also want to prohibit local governments from rolling over bond payments to other projects once the project voters approved them for is complete. Those are “minimum” requirements to earn Republican support, Ugaste wrote.
“We’re drawing a clear line: if the majority party wants our support for any Chicago Bears stadium deal, it must include meaningful, statewide property tax relief,” Ugaste wrote. “We understand the upside of a world-class stadium and Illinois should be competing for those opportunities. But the other taxpayers are not an afterthought.”
BIPARTISAN CONCERN: Property tax rates are a primary concern for lawmakers hesitant about passing the megaprojects bill. Many advocates and lawmakers in both parties have said they are worried that allowing megaprojects to negotiate payments in lieu of taxes with local governments would push the property tax burden to residents and other business owners.
WHY IT MATTERS: Republicans think their votes will be needed to get a bill through the House. Some Democrats have been reluctant about both providing tax breaks to businesses while other are hesitant to support legislation that could allow the Bears to leave Chicago.
WHY IT MIGHT NOT MATTER: Republicans are the super minority party with just 40 members. House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, also has an unofficial rule that 60 Democrats — the minimum needed to pass a bill — must support legislation for it to get a vote on the House floor. If the megaprojects bill doesn’t have enough support among Democrats, it may not get a vote, even if Republicans can help it across the finish line.
Republicans have been involved in some informal conversations about the Bears but are not part of deep conversations about what is in the bill.
STATUS OF THE BILL: Next Friday is the House’s deadline to pass bills to the Senate. But like all things in Springfield, deadlines can be flexible. Bears CEO Kevin Warren signaled last week the Bears might wait until late spring or early summer to make a deal, which would coincide with the end of the legislative session.
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