Opinion: Don't Blame Republicans, Fix the Bears Deal
A rendering of a new Chicago Bears stadium and development in suburban Arlington Heights.
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OPINION
By: Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) and Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva
Recently, the lead negotiator on the Chicago Bears stadium proposal suggested Republicans are trying to have it “both ways,” claiming we oppose the deal while also blaming Democrats for potentially losing the team.
That’s simply not true.
Let’s be clear: we want the Chicago Bears to remain in Illinois. We want a world-class stadium that can attract marquee events like Super Bowls, Final Fours, and national conventions that bring real economic activity to our state. Illinois has already watched too many of those opportunities go elsewhere. This year’s Final Four in Indianapolis is just the latest reminder.
But wanting a stadium and supporting a bad deal are not the same thing.
As currently drafted, this proposal puts additional pressure on Illinois’ already overburdened property tax payers. It allows local taxing bodies to shift relief granted to the Bears onto everyone else. In plain terms, that means homeowners and small businesses could end up paying more to make the deal work.
That is a non-starter.
Large-scale economic development projects should ease the tax burden on surrounding communities, not quietly redistribute it. If a deal requires shifting costs onto already tapped-out taxpayers, it’s not a good deal. It’s a bailout disguised as development.
This moment also exposes a much larger issue: Illinois’ ever-increasing property tax burden. For years, Democrats have responded not with reform, but with task forces and working groups. Meanwhile, property taxes continue to rise.
After decades of control, and supermajorities in the General Assembly for the past seven years, the majority party owns this problem.
Let us be clear: we are open to working with the Democrats. But any solution must address the property tax shift and include simple, common sense reforms that protect all taxpayers. We can start by moving all referendum questions to the November ballot, when voter participation is highest. We must end the use of backdoor referenda that sidestep transparency. We need to have discussions for all taxpayers in Illinois in the public square.
Ultimately, the goal is straightforward: any agreement must protect taxpayers, not stick them with the bill.
It’s also worth noting how we got here. The majority party ignored the Bears’ stadium situation for years. Now, after long delays, Indiana has emerged as a serious alternative. That has weakened Illinois’ negotiating position and may ultimately force a more expensive proposal than would have been necessary with earlier engagement.
If Illinois loses the Bears, it won’t be because Republicans demanded fair legislation. It will be because those in charge waited too long and refused to address the underlying issues driving this negotiation.
We can still get this right.
Keep the Bears. Build a world-class stadium. But do it in a way that respects taxpayers and strengthens Illinois and not one that asks taxpayers to fork over even more.
That’s not “having it both ways.”
That’s responsible governing.
(Editor’s note: We don’t typically open up our opinion pages to any lawmaker with an idea, but the GOP position on the Bears deal was specifically referenced in our story Tuesday, so we thought it would be fair to let the Republican lawmakers respond. Their opinion does not necessarily reflect that of The Illinoize.)
