A statement from Senator Darby Hills regarding the recent Bears bill:
June 2nd, 2026
“I want to take a moment to explain what happened with the Bears proposal that came up at the end of session.
“After months of discussion around different ideas, a completely new proposal was suddenly introduced late in the process at the last minute. Lawmakers were then asked to vote on it at about 3:30 a.m. during the final hours of session.
“At that point, there simply was not enough time to fully read and understand all the details or to ensure the public had a real opportunity to weigh in. Major decisions like this deserve a transparent process, not rushed decisions in the middle of the night.
“There were also unanswered questions about the proposal itself. Earlier versions, including the bill that first passed the House, required the Bears to continue paying property taxes while making a significant private investment. In this late-stage proposal, that changed entirely and under this version, the Bears would not pay property taxes at all. That is a major shift that needed more time and scrutiny.
“In addition, there was no clear, unified support from all key stakeholders, including the Bears, the House, and the Governor. In fact, the Bears themselves did not have a meaningful opportunity to fully weigh in on this final version before it was brought forward, and they did not know exactly what was in it.
“For those reasons, I could not support the proposal in its final form.
“To be clear, I support keeping the Bears in Illinois and want to see a deal that works. Losing the Chicago Bears would be a defining moment for Illinois, and not in a good way. The Bears are part of Illinois’ identity and a major economic driver. But any agreement must be done the right way, with transparency, full review, public input, and protection for taxpayers.
“The proposal did pass the Senate, but it was not called for a vote in the House. That means there is still no final agreement or enacted plan.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out and shared their thoughts. I will keep you updated.”
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