Illinois

Illinois’ budget passes state Senate; moves to House

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2024

Illinois’ budget passes state Senate; moves to House

SPRINGFIELD (WIFR) – The Illinois Senate passes a state budget that eliminates the state’s 1% grocery tax, adds a child tax credit and more. Now, the House will have to vote on it.

The budget consists of several bills. One bill is the appropriations legislation. Another bill implements the spending. Another bill created new taxes.

“The budget is balanced, it’s fair, it’s a statement of our priorities and values, and it really does set us on a course for continuing to invest in our communities but also to building the economy where every community thrives,” said state Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, the Senate Democrats’ lead budget negotiator.

At more than $53 billion, it’s set to be the largest budget in Illinois history.

“With this budget, we continue to create the economic climate that has led to nine credit rating upgrades and an economy that tops $1 trillion. This budget addresses the challenges we face today while preparing us for the next generation,” Sims said.

It includes more than $20 billion for education, a nearly $350 million increase from the FY24 budget.

It also includes $115 million for migrant welcoming centers and nearly $630 for health care for undocumented immigrants.

The budget passed 38-21. Every Republican Senator voted against it. Two Democrats, state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, and state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Western Springs, voted against the appropriations bill.

“This year’s budget, from a governor that continues to control spending and continues to view the taxpayers of Illinois and the businesses of this state as his personal ATM machine to fund a political wish list as he shines his lights on his trek to Washington,” said state Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles.

To pay for the largest budget in state history, the tax bill calls for more than $800 million in tax increases. It includes as much as tripling the tax on sports betting and capping the corporate net operating loss deduction. All Republicans opposed that bill as did Joyce, Glowiak Hilton and state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood.

“Our families in this state are struggling. And through this budget, should you choose to vote for it, like many of the other losers in this budget, you will have left them behind,” DeWitte said.

The state House of Representatives still must pass the budget bills. It’s set to return on Tuesday.

Sims and Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said Democratic leaders in both chambers agreed to pass the bills the Senate passed Sunday night.

The state House will vote on the budget this week.

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Illinois

Over 81K deer harvested in Illinois firearm deer season

Published

8 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Over 81K deer harvested in Illinois firearm deer season

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KWQC) – Early numbers show more than 81,000 deer were harvested during Illinois’ firearm deer season this year.

Officials said preliminary totals show 91,225 deer were harvested during the seven-day season that ended on Dec. 7, according to a news release.

This is down from the 82,496 deer harvested during the firearm season last year, officials said.

Local firearm deer season totals:

Rock Island County: 728
Whiteside County: 699
Jo Davies County: 1,336
Knox County: 1,057
Henry County: 572
Mercer County: 873
Warren County: 516
Bureau County: 909

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Illinois

Bears again expand stadium search, including outside Illinois

Published

20 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Bears again expand stadium search, including outside Illinois

CHICAGO — Three days before hosting their biggest game at Soldier Field in years, the Chicago Bears are exploring moving outside the city for which they are named.

In an open letter to fans Wednesday evening, team president and CEO Kevin Warren said the Bears will explore other locations — including outside of Cook County, where the team owns a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, Illinois — to build a domed stadium.

That includes moving the Bears out of Illinois altogether.

“In addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,” Warren said. “This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights.

“Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back against a potential move of the team out of the state.

“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season,”Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said in a statement. “The Governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.”

The Bears purchased the Arlington Park property that formerly housed the Arlington International Racecourse for $197 million in 2023, shortly before Warren replaced Ted Phillips as team president and CEO. The Bears proposed building a 60,000-seat fixed-roof stadium within a $5 billion mixed-use development.

Not long after closing on the land in Arlington Heights, the team began exploring options for a new stadium site when it announced its plans to build at the Arlington Park site were “at risk” as negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse.

Shortly before the 2024 draft, the Bears shifted their focus to building their new stadium on the lakefront south of Soldier Field and announced they would invest more than $2 billion in private money into the construction and development of the stadium and surrounding areas.

Although the team has maintained that the construction of a new stadium will be privately funded, concerns over the burden placed on taxpayers to fund the infrastructure around the stadium led to an impasse. That led the Bears to explore Arlington Heights once again as an option, which Warren announced during league meetings in April. Ahead of the Bears’ home opener against theMinnesota Vikingson Sept. 8, Warren released a letter to fans, saying the team’s sights were set on building in Arlington Heights. He has said throughout the year that the goal was to break ground before the end of 2025.

However, the Bears have been in a battle with lawmakers over tax breaks and securing $855 million in public funding for costs related to building the new stadium.

“We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park,” Warren said. “We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure [roads, utilities, and site improvements], which is more than typical for projects of this size. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing. We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership.”

The Bears’ current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033. On Saturday night, the 10-4 Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in a high-stakes meeting that will heavily determine Chicago’s path to the postseason.br/]

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