* The House’s top Bears stadium negotiator Rep. Kam Buckner was on the SCORE’s Mully & Haugh Show today…
They’re having a conversation here in the Capitol about what a pared-down version of it will look like. I’ve called it the megaproject deal on Ozempic [laughter] that would only work for the Bears and Arlington Heights.
Now, listen, I don’t know if that works for the Senate. I know that there may be some issues over here in the House if that happens, because frankly, I think a lot of the Chicago members here on my side of the Capitol were able to vote for my bill because there were things in there that help out the city of Chicago, right.
And so, listen, at the end of the day, this is a possibility. I think that Senator Cunningham is going to have the conversation based on the way he thinks works in his chamber, and we’ll get there.
But I just want to also say, listen, this I know seems frustrating to a lot of Bears fans, a lot of the folks who are looking for the end result on this. And I think we’re going to get there, once again. I know this seems like the long slog for folks, but I think it requires some of these deep fits and starts in order to get to a good spot.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 12:55 pm:
“Good spot”? Is that the same as “I smell the neat a cookin”?
- Leatherneck - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 1:00 pm:
=I think we’re going to get there=
Would that be equivalent to a 90-yard blocked field goal for a touchdown in the last 3 seconds, or a Hail Mary?
- Norseman - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 1:02 pm:
Did you mean the pigskin a cookin?
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 1:26 pm:
I listened to the interview — seemed encouraged.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 1:45 pm:
I can’t believe AI calls this “cynical” but kudos for crediting Capitol Fax with the meme. It is one of our most enduring truths:
“I’ve learned over the years to always bet on nothing when it comes to getting something done in Illinois. It’s the historically smart play and you’re only wrong once.”
- Rich Miller, March, 2016
https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/no-end-in-sigh-11454193/
- P. - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 2:32 pm:
Guy whose poorly crafted legislation needed a complete retooling while still not into the end zone yet doing the media circuit is remarkable.
- Wisco Bears Fan - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 2:47 pm:
No idea if this bill or some kind of Bears bill gets passed by Sunday 11:59PM, but I’m still confident the team will never move to Indiana. Not Virginia Halas McCaskey’s team.
- Blago Superdelegate - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 3:08 pm:
The state needs investments–exchanging megaproject support for an equity stake in all cases can turn this into win win, maybe a sovereign wealth fund type vehicle the treasurer can administer. Shared public risk should equal shared reward and eventually these proceeds can be a revenue stream outside of taxation
- thisjustinagain - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 4:22 pm:
Get ready to cover the clocks in the House and Senate again. Illinois still ain’t ready for reform. Meanwhile homeowners wait in vain for tax certainty, other than the certainty that their property taxes will continue to go up.
- Flapdoodle - Friday, May 29, 26 @ 6:55 pm:
I haven’t commented on the Bears imbroglio in a while, waiting to see how it plays out. Now comes Rep. Buckner to say legislation tailored to the Bears and AH could yet pass this session. So what we’re getting is something not very different than what so many people spoke against when this all started, the Bears and one locality getting special treatment while the rest of the state deals with burdensome property taxes and insufficient affordable housing, among other problems.
Let the Bears deal with their own problems with no state aid or tax forgiveness. Any legislator who supports this legislation, however slimmed down, never gets my vote.