Despite the Bears’ stated intent to pursue a $5 billion stadium and mixed-use development in Indiana, there could still be a path for Illinois to re-enter the high-stakes venue race.
Less than a week after the NFL team’s declaration to seek out a stadium in suburban Hammond, Ind., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is considering calling a special session to advance a deal in the franchise’s current home state, and said there have been subsequent incoming calls from the Bears. Pritzker, however, said team ownership and leadership are responsible for coalescing a currently divided Illinois legislature around the stadium issue.
“They’ve got to figure out how they can get the legislature, both sides, around the same bill, and I would be happy to call a special session,” he said in an unrelated news conference.
The Illinois spring legislative session ended early last week without the state’s House of Representatives advancing a Bears stadium bill that the Senate approved in an overnight session. In the wake of that, House Speaker Chris Welch said he did not plan on having a special session to revisit the issue.
Pritzker, however, is now conveying a different sentiment, and he also has the power to call the legislators back to Springfield. If he does, though, the governor insisted it would remain firmly within the context of protecting Illinois taxpayers.
