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Sen. Seth Lewis: no 'blank check' for Chicago Bears — property-tax protections must be included
Summary
State Sen. Seth Lewis urged protections for current homeowners in any bill tied to a Chicago Bears stadium deal, saying the state should avoid measures that would raise property taxes for existing residents and favor a narrowly tailored approach focused on the Bears.
State Senator Seth Lewis said lawmakers can and should protect current homeowners from property-tax increases tied to any Chicago Bears-related mega-project.
Lewis said the House-passed "mega projects" bill lacked safeguards for homeowners and that he would not vote for a Bears project that was "bad for Illinois residents." He told reporters: "The state of Illinois cannot write a blank check to the Bears just to keep them." Lewis urged a narrower approach late in the session focused on the Bears rather than a broad, undefined statewide mega-projects bill.
On technical fixes, senators described a potential pilot program or "tax certainty" language that would exclude qualifying pilot projects from base EAV calculations for property-tax purposes; proponents said that approach would protect current taxpayers while allowing targeted incentives. Lawmakers did not vote on any text at the briefing; discussion centered on negotiating details before final floor action.
