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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to travel to Springfield for a series of discussions with state legislators starting Tuesday night. His agenda includes advocating for fresh revenue initiatives and making a case for the Chicago Bears to continue playing at Soldier Field.
This visit coincides with the lawmakers’ final stretch of their legislative session, a period that will see them revisiting a proposal aimed at facilitating the Bears’ ambition to construct a new stadium in Arlington Heights.
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On Tuesday, Johnson presented a list of potential revenue streams that may face significant challenges in Springfield. However, persuading the Bears to stay in the city seems to be an even more daunting task.
Despite the odds, Johnson remains determined to retain the Bears at Soldier Field.
“The lakefront isn’t just the best location for the Bears to play,” Johnson stated. “It’s also the most economically viable and stable option for the team to remain in Chicago.”
As it stands, the Bears have long said the two locations they are considering for a new stadium are in Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.
SEE ALSO | Gov. Pritzker says he wants Bears stadium deal done ‘as fast as possible’ as team meets with NFL
Before heading to Springfield, the mayor raised concerns about the bill now before the Illinois Senate that would allow developers of large projects, including the Bears, to make payments to local taxing bodies in exchange for long-term freezes on property taxes.
An analysis done of the bill passed by the Illinois House said while it would help the Bears put a new stadium on the old Arlington Racetrack property, the included property tax relief for homeowners would be negligible. The mayor is troubled by that.
“Without, you know, a clear pathway to provide certainty, as well as equity for everyday working people, I believe that is a mismatch there,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s Springfield mission will also focus on convincing lawmakers not to cut the portion of the state income tax that goes to local municipalities, known as the local government distributive fund.
Right now, Chicago stands to lose more than $12 million under the governor’s budget plan.
“Raising the percentage share by just 1% would result in an $80 million increase in funding for the city of Chicago,” Johnson said.
Progressive lawmakers are joining the mayor in advocating for additional new revenue sources, including a digital ad tax.
“I don’t think anybody has any love lost for the Elon Musks of the world or Mark Zuckerbergs of the world, and what they’ve been doing to our communities,” said digital ad tax sponsor and Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago. “So, this is, I think, a unique opportunity for us to both tackle budget issues to tackle bigger structural issues.”
Peters, whose district includes Soldier Field, is also pushing for state help to renovate the venue for concerts.
“So, my main duty is to make sure that Soldier Field remains a unique and special venue, and that is with or without the Bears,” Peters said.
The mayor will host a dinner meeting for the legislative black caucus on Tuesday night and then a breakfast meeting for another group of lawmakers on Wednesday morning to kick off a busy day-and-a-half of lobbying for Chicago.
Illinois lawmakers’ spring session ends on May 31.
The Bears have said they plan to share an update on their new stadium plans by late spring or early summer.
ABC7 Chicago’s Craig Wall will travel to Springfield on Tuesday night to cover the mayor’s trip.
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