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Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., took some shots against Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday over having “no plan” for how to keep the Chicago Bears in the Windy City.
During a press conference, Pritzker was asked about the state of negotiations surrounding the football team’s home stadium and whether the team would be re-located outside Chicago.
“That’s a conversation between those municipalities and the Bears,” Pritzker said. “As to the prospects for a passage of a bill or what might happen with the Bears, I would say I know the mayor has no plan. He has come up with no plan at all about how the Bears would end up in the city of Chicago. So that’s problematic. I’d love them to be in the city, but we are three years in now, and he still has no plan.”
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Pritzker added that as recently as Friday, a spokesperson for the Bears said that the only two viable location options for the team were Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana. Despite this, he voiced support for efforts to keep the team in Chicago if possible.
“I’m fighting hard to make sure that they can do that. And also very importantly, because my North star is protecting the taxpayers of Illinois that we have something that works for the state of Illinois that’s fair as we are being fair with other businesses that want to come to Illinois or expand here, that we’re being fair in the allocation of support for a business expanding in the state while also protecting taxpayers across the state,” Pritzker said.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Chicago Mayor’s Office reiterated Johnson’s interest in constructing a publicly owned stadium to keep the Bears in Chicago.
“For the past two years, the City has continued to advocate for a publicly owned stadium and has not supported the advancement of a privately owned stadium. The City’s proposal remains the only plan centered on public ownership alongside a funding mechanism that does not burden property taxpayers while keeping the Bears in Chicago,” the statement read.
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It continued, “We look forward to continuing to work with the legislature, the State, and all stakeholders to advance a solution that centers the needs of working Illinoisans while preserving the Bears’ future in Chicago.”
Pritzker dismissed Johnson’s proposal along with the mayor’s desire for the city to control the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to make the plan happen, calling it “typical” for Johnson.
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“This is kind of typical. The mayor has shown up every spring at the end of session to pronounce what he would like to see happen,” Pritzker said.
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