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Chicago Tribune
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Chicago owes residents a clear vision for Soldier Field's future
With the Chicago Fire announcing their departure from Soldier Field and the Chicago Bears intensifying their focus on Arlington Heights, serious questions arise about the future of the city-owned stadium. Representative Kam Buckner recently remarked, 'There was life in Soldier Field before the Chicago Bears, and if, for some reason, they are no longer there, there will be life afterwards.' While the sentiment is optimistic, it warrants a closer examination. The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971 — a vastly different era for both the stadium and the city. Today, the landscape of professional sports and entertainment is evolving rapidly. A state-of-the-art, domed stadium in Arlington Heights promises to attract elite sporting events, major concerts, and high-revenue opportunities that Soldier Field may no longer be able to compete with. Chicago owes its residents a clear and transparent vision for what the future holds for Soldier Field without a primary tenant. While regional sporting events and community gatherings like farmers markets have value, they do not match the scale or economic impact of the marquee events the stadium was built to host. Moreover, the financial implications cannot be ignored. What will it cost to maintain the stadium without consistent, large-scale events? How much revenue will the Chicago Park District forfeit? What is the projected impact on local employment and the surrounding economy? This is not a call to support or oppose public funding for a new stadium. Rather, it is a call for a comprehensive understanding of the consequences tied to these decisions. Without a clear plan, Soldier Field risks becoming a costly relic — an iconic venue with no clear purpose. In its current trajectory, Soldier Field may soon be a symbol not of Chicago's legacy, but of its missed making his decision to sell the White Sox, do you know if Jerry Reinsdorf offered the team to the Vatican?Turning around at the far end of our recent scenic boat ride on the Seine, I saw the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower rising together against a hot blue sky. The statue was a quarter scale model used in the construction of the full size one in New York harbor, given to France back in the day by American expats. What I saw was E Pluribus Unum, out of many one, the motto of the USA since 1776, along with liberty, equality, fraternity, which you see plastered on official buildings all over France, a slogan they've used since the 1790s. Two great tributes to democracy. But now in the age of MAGA and President Donald Trump we have, 'A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years,' as he narcissistically claimed during his Memorial Day speech. And, 'People pouring through our borders unchecked. People doing things that are indescribable.' And everybody in Trump world is hitting the talking point about 'unelected judges' thwarting his 'mandate,' as if having to do things by the book is an unfair imposition on a president who got slightly less than half the votes cast in the last election. We need leaders who can really think and plan, who have the long term good of humanity as their goal. What we've got in the White House right now is a mean-spirited man with the attention span of a toddler and a handful of screwball ideas, like his tariff mania, that nothing seems to shake. — John Podulka, Wolverine, Michigan Catastrophically, Big Brother has arrived. Congress must stop Palantir's compilation of all U.S. citizens' private data thus preventing Trump and his tech bros from having all the info on everybody. All that private data being so accessible would simplify their retribution and control exponentially. Any faults, excesses, weaknesses exposed could be easily used for manipulation and destruction. Don't let Social Security and IRS data go to Palantir and rescind the Pentagon and Homeland Security contracts. — Stephen T. White, Buffalo Grove Economic analyst Steve Rattner explained clearly why Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' will increase our deficit by trillions over 10 years. The obvious problem is there are not enough things to slash to pay for the irresponsible tax cuts and spending included in the bill. If Trump cuts Medicaid, law enforcement, environmental protection, medical research, international assistance, education and transportation it will not balance his plan. The resulting debt is trillions of dollars. Our debt is the largest since World War II. During a period of huge tax cuts, from George W. Bush in 2001 through the present, there was gross fiscal irresponsibility inflicted by both Republicans and Democrats. It is unsustainable. This bill is a gimmick to again benefit a few over the many. It will not pay for itself as Trump boasts. The House has already passed the bill along party lines. Our children and grandchildren will be paying for this selfish irresponsibility for generations. — James Frank, Reading, Pennsylvania After reading the opinion piece by two real estate brokers fearing big bad Zillow, I viewed it as two founders fearing further loss of their hold of an industry that is rapidly becoming obsolete. ('New bill could strip Illinois homeowners of choice,' June 2) I sold my father's home by owner on Facebook without a real estate agent. My real estate attorney took care of everything for well under $1,000. I found my recently-purchased condo online without an agent. However, since the condo was listed by an agent, I needed one to open the door, show me around, answer a few basic questions, and email me the documents to make my offer. She was also present for the 90 minute inspection. For all of this 'expertise,' more than $22,000 was shared by my agent, and the seller's agent. All for simply having the listing, and the keys to the property. Tonight, I posted my current home 'for sale by owner' on Facebook. I expect to sell it within one week, and my attorney will handle the heavy lifting once more. The walls of this racket are beginning to fracture. It's well past time!
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Future of Chicago area transit funding uncertain after lawmakers miss deadline
The Brief Illinois lawmakers failed to pass a package aimed at addressing a $770M funding cliff for the CTA, Pace and Metra. The House of Representatives can still pass the package after missing a deadline, but it will be an uphill climb. Republican and suburban lawmakers want more of a say on how the money is distributed. CHICAGO - Riders on the CTA, Pace, and Metra might be facing service cuts after state lawmakers failed to pass a bill aimed at preventing a $770 million funding shortfall. The General Assembly didn't give final approval for a package to reform the transit agencies serving the Chicago area, even as they approved a $55 billion budget for the next fiscal year. The backstory The Illinois Senate passed a package that would have consolidated all three transit agencies, provided a universal fare card, and called for "efficiencies" to save money. There would also have been new revenue from taxes on rideshares and delivery services. But the House of Representatives could not pass the bill by the midnight deadline on Saturday. So now, if the Democrat-controlled House aims to pass the package, they need a super majority of 71 votes during a special session or fall session. It's an uphill task that might require buy-in from downstate lawmakers. "This, to me, has to not just be about Chicago proper, or even the collar counties," said State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago). "It has to be about the entire State of Illinois. This needs to be a bill that finds ways to create transit opportunities for the entire state." Buckner cited the need to help the transit system in Springfield, near the St. Louis border, and potentially create a "seamless" rail route between Chicago and Peoria, which doesn't exist. "There's a lot of stuff we can do to make this palatable for the entire state," he added. The other side There's been considerable pushback to the plan from Republican and suburban representatives who argued the bill would subsidize Chicago riders and the CTA on the backs of suburban residents. They want a bill that helps out Metra and Pace riders more. Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge told Fox 32 that suburban leaders should have a bigger say about how the pie gets distributed. "If we're paying for it, what is our say?" Dodge said. "We want to be at that table in saying, OK, how do you balance this out so you really think appropriately about transportation in Chicago: roads, rails, buses, etc. So it's a big problem and they need to fix it."
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois legislators left Springfield without funding public transit (for now). Here's what that means for CTA, Metra, Pace
For months, Chicagoland's transit agencies have sounded an alarm: If lawmakers don't plug a looming $771 million budget gap, they warned, residents will experience drastic service cuts on the CTA, Metra and Pace next year. Over the weekend, Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring legislative session without passing legislation that would avert the fiscal cliff. The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace, has warned that it will have to start planning for dramatic cuts to transit service. Next year, riders could experience a 40% reduction in transit service — with some rail lines and bus routes eliminated entirely — the RTA has warned. Nearly 3,000 workers could lose their jobs. Still, service cuts are not slated to start until COVID-19 relief funding runs out in January, or even later into next year. That means there is still time for lawmakers to go back to Springfield to take another stab at passing legislation that would plug the budget gap. However, any legislation passed after May 31 that would take effect before June 2026 requires — per the state's constitution — a three-fifths majority in both chambers rather than a simple majority. That makes lawmakers' task harder. Here's what Chicagoans need to know about the future of transit service in the metro area. In short, lawmakers in both chambers introduced legislation that would have revamped the structure of the RTA, which oversees the CTA, Metra and Pace. A Senate proposal that included funding mechanisms for those reforms and to avert the looming fiscal cliff — largely in the form of various taxes and fees — failed to get over the finish line in the House. As the spring legislative session came to a close, a mantra of 'no funding without reform' came to dominate conversations in Springfield about the looming transit fiscal cliff. Bills introduced last week would have replaced the RTA with a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority that would be given broad planning authority. But after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, lawmakers only began publicly sharing their ideas for revenue generation to avert the fiscal cliff on Thursday. Those ideas included a 50 cent tollway tax that got shut down after fierce opposition from organized labor and suburban lawmakers and a $1.50 retail delivery fee that garnered similarly ferocious opposition from powerful business groups. Shortly before May 31 gave way to June 1, the Senate approved a version of the bill that would have included the $1.50 package delivery fee. But the bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Ram Villivalam, was never called for a vote in the House. The legislature adjourned in the early hours of Sunday morning without passing any transit legislation at all. While the General Assembly has been engaged in negotiations over ways to overhaul public transit in the Chicago area for months, if not longer, state Rep. Kam Buckner, one of the sponsors of the House's transit reform bill, noted the Senate's approach was different than the House's in that the Senate decided to include revenue options in its proposal while the House wanted to discuss operational fixes first before getting into how it'd all be funded. Buckner noted that he and Chicago Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, the main sponsor of the House's transit bill, were among the key House Democratic negotiators for the entire state budget, and Buckner said he was concerned about a transit revenue vote in the House derailing the budget talks. Buckner also said the House wasn't aware that the $1.50 delivery proposal from the Senate was a possibility, 'which is why we never talked about it with our folks.' All in all, he felt it would have been 'disingenuous' and 'irresponsible' to ask fellow House members to vote on the bill without being more familiar with its revenue proposals. 'It jeopardizes the integrity of what we've built in the House and we made the right call,' Buckner said of the House's decision to not call the bill. In a statement on Monday, Villivalam reiterated his consistent message on the issue that 'there will be no funding without reform' and said he looked forward to working with Delgado and Buckner 'to get this package of reforms and funding across the finish line.' Yes. Lawmakers could go back to Springfield later this year to pass transit legislation that would plug the funding gap. Any laws passed after the end of May taking effect before June 2026 require three-fifths approval in both chambers to pass, which makes the path forward more difficult than it was on May 31. While lawmakers will be scheduled to return to Springfield for the fall veto session, most likely in October or November, there's nothing stopping them from reconvening before that. Lawmakers had already left the door open to the possibility of coming back to the Capitol in the summer if they need to shore up the state budget in response to any federal action from President Donald Trump that could cause Illinois to lose critical federal funding. Meanwhile, the RTA said, transit agencies will have to make their budgets for next year assuming they're not going to get any more money. The RTA has said that layoffs could be announced as early as September. It's not clear exactly what might happen if transit workers are told they are facing layoffs and then the legislature, weeks or months later, passes a law ensuring more funding. 'It's going to be chaotic,' said P.S. Sriraj, the director of the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois Chicago. Workers who get pink-slipped would have to start looking for other jobs, he said. Then, if agencies learn they have more funding available and can start ramping up plans for more service, they may have to go out and hire new employees. 'You're now behind the 8-ball,' said Sriraj, who added that he believed the legislature would ultimately find funding for transit. Buckner also indicated he understood the urgency for the state to come up with a solution on transit while the CTA is in the midst of crafting their budget. 'It's very clear to me that they need some stability and need some certainty to know what to do if they're going to balance their books,' said Buckner. Service cuts throughout the Chicago metro area would be drastic if the legislature doesn't take further action, transit agencies have warned. Service on half of the CTA's eight rail lines could be cut entirely or at least on whole branches of the line, the RTA has said. More than 50 'L' stations could close or see drastic service cuts. Frequencies on remaining rail lines would be cut between10 to 25%. And as many as 74 out of the CTA's 127 bus routes — close to 60% of them — could be eliminated. That could leave Chicago with fewer bus routes than Madison, Wi. or Kansas City, according to the RTA. On Metra, early morning and late evening trains would be cut. Trains might run only once an hour on weekdays and once every two hours on weekends. The Metra Electric Blue Island Branch might be slashed entirely. On Pace buses, weekend service could be cut entirely. Federally-mandated ADA paratransit service would still exist, but its service area could be slashed by 66% on the weekends. And as more people take to their cars because of diminished service, traffic throughout the area — which is already among the worst in the nation — could worsen. We don't know exactly where service will be cut. Here's what we do know about the process: This month, the RTA will give the CTA, Metra and Pace directions for the creation of their 2026 budgets. RTA spokesperson Tina Fassett Smith said in a statement over the weekend that its budget must, by law, 'only include funding we are confident the system will receive in 2026.' It will then be up to the agencies to decide how to adjust their planned service for next year. Staff at each agency will prepare proposals and budgets will be released publicly in the fall. As is the case in a typical year, each agency will hold public budget hearings in October or November. Because the agencies receive federal funding, they will almost certainly go through a Title VI process to make sure that any proposed cuts — or fare increases — do not disproportionately impact people of color or low-income people. For instance, the agencies will have to show that if they are cutting service 40% for riders overall, they are not cutting service by a significantly higher percentage for Black riders or low-income riders. If there will be a disparate impact from proposed cuts, they will have to show that they are taking steps to mitigate those effects. The Title VI process would include public hearings with the opportunity for riders to share their concerns. As the agencies evaluate where to cut service, said Sriraj, they'll be weighing Title VI responsibilities along with ridership metrics on various routes and lines and the availability of alternative modes of transit near routes slated for cuts. The respective boards of the CTA, Metra and Pace would ultimately be responsible for approving any proposed cuts or fare hikes. Cuts would begin in January at the earliest. Maggie Daly Skogsbakken, a spokesperson for Pace, said that though the agency's budget would take effect Jan. 1, it's possible the cuts would not take effect until later into the year. She also said that in the past, the agency has phased in large service changes rather than make them all at once. That could happen in this case, she said. Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis similarly said the soonest cuts would begin would be in January. The CTA did not directly address a question about when cuts would take effect, but said in a statement it would 'plan for a number of scenarios that could occur in 2026.' 'We are committed to working on behalf of our riders and employees, and we look forward to continuing the work to secure funding for Chicago-area public transit,' the agency said.
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois legislators left Springfield without funding public transit (for now). Here's what that means for CTA, Metra, Pace
For months, Chicagoland's transit agencies have sounded an alarm: If lawmakers don't plug a looming $771 million budget gap, they warned, residents will experience drastic service cuts on the CTA, Metra and Pace next year. Over the weekend, Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring legislative session without passing legislation that would avert the fiscal cliff. The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace, has warned that it will have to start planning for dramatic cuts to transit service. Next year, riders could experience a 40% reduction in transit service — with some rail lines and bus routes eliminated entirely — the RTA has warned. Nearly 3,000 workers could lose their jobs. Still, service cuts are not slated to start until COVID-19 relief funding runs out in January, or even later into next year. That means there is still time for lawmakers to go back to Springfield to take another stab at passing legislation that would plug the budget gap. However, any legislation passed after May 31 that would take effect before June 2026 requires — per the state's constitution — a three-fifths majority in both chambers rather than a simple majority. That makes lawmakers' task harder. Here's what Chicagoans need to know about the future of transit service in the metro area. What happened in the legislature last week? In short, lawmakers in both chambers introduced legislation that would have revamped the structure of the RTA, which oversees the CTA, Metra and Pace. A Senate proposal that included funding mechanisms for those reforms and to avert the looming fiscal cliff — largely in the form of various taxes and fees — failed to get over the finish line in the House. As the spring legislative session came to a close, a mantra of 'no funding without reform' came to dominate conversations in Springfield about the looming transit fiscal cliff. Bills introduced last week would have replaced the RTA with a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority that would be given broad planning authority. But after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, lawmakers only began publicly sharing their ideas for revenue generation to avert the fiscal cliff on Thursday. Those ideas included a 50 cent tollway tax that got shut down after fierce opposition from organized labor and suburban lawmakers and a $1.50 retail delivery fee that garnered similarly ferocious opposition from powerful business groups. Shortly before May 31 gave way to June 1, the Senate approved a version of the bill that would have included the $1.50 package delivery fee. But the bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Ram Villivalam, was never called for a vote in the House. The legislature adjourned in the early hours of Sunday morning without passing any transit legislation at all. While the General Assembly has been engaged in negotiations over ways to overhaul public transit in the Chicago area for months, if not longer, state Rep. Kam Buckner, one of the sponsors of the House's transit reform bill, noted the Senate's approach was different than the House's in that the Senate decided to include revenue options in its proposal while the House wanted to discuss operational fixes first before getting into how it'd all be funded. Buckner noted that he and Chicago Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, the main sponsor of the House's transit bill, were among the key House Democratic negotiators for the entire state budget, and Buckner said he was concerned about a transit revenue vote in the House derailing the budget talks. Buckner also said the House wasn't aware that the $1.50 delivery proposal from the Senate was a possibility, 'which is why we never talked about it with our folks.' All in all, he felt it would have been 'disingenuous' and 'irresponsible' to ask fellow House members to vote on the bill without being more familiar with its revenue proposals. 'It jeopardizes the integrity of what we've built in the House and we made the right call,' Buckner said of the House's decision to not call the bill. In a statement on Monday, Villivalam reiterated his consistent message on the issue that 'there will be no funding without reform' and said he looked forward to working with Delgado and Buckner 'to get this package of reforms and funding across the finish line.' Do lawmakers still have time to avert the fiscal cliff? Yes. Lawmakers could go back to Springfield later this year to pass transit legislation that would plug the funding gap. Any laws passed after the end of May taking effect before June 2026 require three-fifths approval in both chambers to pass, which makes the path forward more difficult than it was on May 31. While lawmakers will be scheduled to return to Springfield for the fall veto session, most likely in October or November, there's nothing stopping them from reconvening before that. Lawmakers had already left the door open to the possibility of coming back to the Capitol in the summer if they need to shore up the state budget in response to any federal action from President Donald Trump that could cause Illinois to lose critical federal funding. Meanwhile, the RTA said, transit agencies will have to make their budgets for next year assuming they're not going to get any more money. The RTA has said that layoffs could be announced as early as September. It's not clear exactly what might happen if transit workers are told they are facing layoffs and then the legislature, weeks or months later, passes a law ensuring more funding. 'It's going to be chaotic,' said P.S. Sriraj, the director of the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois Chicago. Workers who get pink-slipped would have to start looking for other jobs, he said. Then, if agencies learn they have more funding available and can start ramping up plans for more service, they may have to go out and hire new employees. 'You're now behind the 8-ball,' said Sriraj, who added that he believed the legislature would ultimately find funding for transit. Buckner also indicated he understood the urgency for the state to come up with a solution on transit while the CTA is in the midst of crafting their budget. 'It's very clear to me that they need some stability and need some certainty to know what to do if they're going to balance their books,' said Buckner. What would service cuts look like on the CTA, Metra and Pace? Service cuts throughout the Chicago metro area would be drastic if the legislature doesn't take further action, transit agencies have warned. Service on half of the CTA's eight rail lines could be cut entirely or at least on whole branches of the line, the RTA has said. More than 50 'L' stations could close or see drastic service cuts. Frequencies on remaining rail lines would be cut between10 to 25%. And as many as 74 out of the CTA's 127 bus routes — close to 60% of them — could be eliminated. That could leave Chicago with fewer bus routes than Madison, Wi. or Kansas City, according to the RTA. On Metra, early morning and late evening trains would be cut. Trains might run only once an hour on weekdays and once every two hours on weekends. The Metra Electric Blue Island Branch might be slashed entirely. On Pace buses, weekend service could be cut entirely. Federally-mandated ADA paratransit service would still exist, but its service area could be slashed by 66% on the weekends. And as more people take to their cars because of diminished service, traffic throughout the area — which is already among the worst in the nation — could worsen. Which CTA train lines and bus routes would be eliminated? Which 'L' stations would close? We don't know exactly where service will be cut. Here's what we do know about the process: This month, the RTA will give the CTA, Metra and Pace directions for the creation of their 2026 budgets. RTA spokesperson Tina Fassett Smith said in a statement over the weekend that its budget must, by law, 'only include funding we are confident the system will receive in 2026.' It will then be up to the agencies to decide how to adjust their planned service for next year. Staff at each agency will prepare proposals and budgets will be released publicly in the fall. As is the case in a typical year, each agency will hold public budget hearings in October or November. Because the agencies receive federal funding, they will almost certainly go through a Title VI process to make sure that any proposed cuts — or fare increases — do not disproportionately impact people of color or low-income people. For instance, the agencies will have to show that if they are cutting service 40% for riders overall, they are not cutting service by a significantly higher percentage for Black riders or low-income riders. If there will be a disparate impact from proposed cuts, they will have to show that they are taking steps to mitigate those effects. The Title VI process would include public hearings with the opportunity for riders to share their concerns. As the agencies evaluate where to cut service, said Sriraj, they'll be weighing Title VI responsibilities along with ridership metrics on various routes and lines and the availability of alternative modes of transit near routes slated for cuts. The respective boards of the CTA, Metra and Pace would ultimately be responsible for approving any proposed cuts or fare hikes. When would service cuts begin? Cuts would begin in January at the earliest. Maggie Daly Skogsbakken, a spokesperson for Pace, said that though the agency's budget would take effect Jan. 1, it's possible the cuts would not take effect until later into the year. She also said that in the past, the agency has phased in large service changes rather than make them all at once. That could happen in this case, she said. Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis similarly said the soonest cuts would begin would be in January. The CTA did not directly address a question about when cuts would take effect, but said in a statement it would 'plan for a number of scenarios that could occur in 2026.' 'We are committed to working on behalf of our riders and employees, and we look forward to continuing the work to secure funding for Chicago-area public transit,' the agency said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Bears' stadium efforts run out of time in Springfield but suburban lawmaker says deal was close and talks will continue
SPRINGFIELD — While the Illinois General Assembly didn't end up passing legislation this session that helped or hurt the Chicago Bears' stadium efforts, one suburban lawmaker said the legislature got close to a deal on property tax legislation — a measure widely seen as a way to ease a team move to Arlington Heights. 'We were super close and just ran out of time,' state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, a Democrat who represents the northwest suburb and surrounding areas, said Sunday. The team in mid-May announced it was shifting its focus away from building a new lakefront stadium in Chicago to Arlington Heights, where it purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse property two years ago. Though the spring legislative session ended as the calendar turned to June on Saturday night, legislators will likely get another chance to pass legislation in the fall. Still, state Rep. Kam Buckner pushed back on the idea that any agreement was close, as no deal was ever actually introduced in the legislature. 'The Bears have made it clear — they no longer want to be in Chicago. That's their decision,' Buckner, a Chicago Democrat whose district includes Soldier Field, said in a text message Sunday. 'But if they want to leave and use state dollars or ask for special tax protections to do it, they'll have to come through Springfield. And in Springfield, that means facing the Chicago delegation directly.' Lawmakers this session introduced multiple bills proposing changes to state laws that would better enable so-called megaprojects, like a new Bears stadium, to be built. But compromise language that received some support was never introduced, Canty acknowledged. The potential changes would give local control to taxing districts statewide, and not simply be a boost to the Bears' prospects of moving to a specific suburb, she said. 'We're going to keep working all through the summer. I don't like to jinx anything and I also don't like to predict what — where everybody will be' by the fall veto session, Canty said, referring to the next time lawmakers are expected to consider bills. A Bears spokesperson on Sunday reiterated the team's statement that it has made progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights. The dream of a new domed stadium in Chicago has faced enormous headwinds in Springfield since the Bears unveiled a proposal last year asking the state to take on $900 million in new debt and spend $1.5 billion on infrastructure improvements. The franchise likely has a smoother path to move to Arlington Heights, but one of the holdups there was a dispute with the village and local school districts over property taxes. Language discussed behind closed doors in the waning days of session would have allowed 'a weighted vote' of all local taxing bodies to set a property tax payment amount for development projects, while also implementing guardrails from the state on issues like the length of time the agreements could last, Canty said. Gov. JB Pritzker has made clear that while he personally would like to see the Bears stay in Chicago, he is skeptical of providing taxpayer funds to help a private business build a new stadium. Buckner said members of the Chicago delegation in both the House and Senate were 'all very vigilant in the last days of session, expecting the Bears to try to sneak language through the legislature.' 'I don't care how many other lawmakers they talk to — there will be no chicanery, no shortcuts, and no sidestepping the people of Chicago,' he wrote. Asked on Sunday about the prospects for legislation benefiting the Bears, Pritzker said he generally supported options like STAR bonds, a mechanism for local governments to finance big projects, though he emphasized that idea was not specific to the Bears. The discussion on STAR bonds was separate from the megaprojects proposal discussed in the final days of session, Canty said. Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner contributed.
