After more than a century in Illinois, the Chicago Bears are moving forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, raising questions about how state leaders lost one of Illinois' most iconic institutions.
The vote happened at 4:13 a.m. The budget totaled $55.9 billion. Now taxpayers are asking why Springfield found money for nearly everything except meaningful relief for the people paying the bill.
How years of delay, lost leverage, and a frantic push for controversial tax incentives turned a stadium negotiation into a defining test of leadership for Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats.
The lights stay on in Springfield. The public goes to bed. Then the votes begin. With nearly $1 billion more needed to fund the state budget, Illinois taxpayers may soon discover what happens when the clock strikes twelve.
As Illinois fights to keep the Bears from leaving for Indiana, new questions are emerging over who really benefits from the state’s megaproject bill, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Hyatt ties and powerful downtown connections in Springfield.
Illinois families face rising gas taxes as automatic hikes continue without public votes.
