Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield on April 7, and the clock on the Chicago Bears' stadium saga is ticking louder than it has ever been. The Illinois House adjourned in late March without holding a floor vote on the megaprojects property tax bill, a piece of legislation the Bears have made clear is non-negotiable for Arlington Heights to work.
On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will make their stadium decision within weeks, and league sources believe Indiana will become the likely destination if Springfield fails to act.
Without a property tax deal, the Bears' own land in Illinois is suddenly a liability
The megaprojects bill, HB 910, cleared the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee in February but has stalled on the full floor. It would let the Bears negotiate a property tax freeze directly with Arlington Heights, Cook County, and local school districts. Without that, Kevin Warren has been blunt.
"We would not be able to build a stadium without tax certainty," Warren told ESPN at the NFL's league meetings. "Fortunately, we do have tax certainty in the state of Indiana."
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed his state's stadium legislation in February, establishing a funding framework for a 340-acre site in Hammond. George McCaskey acknowledged the Bears own 326 acres in Arlington Heights but said plainly, "The fact of the matter is, we don't have a deal to consider right now."
Schefter also confirmed both proposed Chicago sites are off the table. Building next to Soldier Field is out for some reasons, and the Michael Reese site was evaluated and rejected by both the NFL and the Bears.
Illinois has the land, the bill, and the urgency at the moment. But it does not have the votes yet