Officials with the Chicago Bears unveiled a new stadium plan on Wednesday that has Illinois taxpayers on the hook for half of the cost of the multi-billion-dollar project. In response to the new stadium details and cost, State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) issued the following statement:
“For the past several months, Illinoisans have heard stadium proposals from the White Sox and Chicago Bears, but what has been missing has been statements of accountability for taxpayers and the fans. As Minority Spokesperson for the Appropriations-Public Safety & Infrastructure Committee, the Sports Finance Authority will be coming before us with their Fiscal Year 2025 budget request. During this hearing, I will be very interested to hear if they are seriously considering this proposal, and if so, how they are planning to protect taxpayers and ensure a positive return on their investment. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, I will be interested to learn if they have the ability to hold the team’s ownership accountable for producing results that will satisfy the team’s fanbase. These issues could include protecting seat license-holders, ticket prices, and perhaps even producing a playoff-contention team.”