Bears stadium proposal stagnates as Pritzker expresses doubt over legislative approval

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has reiterated concerns about the Chicago Bears stadium proposal, expressing his belief that the project’s reliance on taxpayer funding will prevent it from obtaining legislative approval.

In May, the team revealed plans for a multi-billion-dollar domed stadium south of Soldier Field, requesting billions of dollars in taxpayer funding for the stadium and surrounding infrastructure.

Gov. Pritzker previously called the Bears' proposal a "nonstarter", and more recently mentioned that the team has not offered an updated proposal that could pass through the Illinois legislature, according to a report by CBS.

Last month, Governor Pritzker had a confidential conversation with Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren about the stadium plan. While Pritzker described the meeting as "cordial," he did not reveal any specifics, as reported by CBS News.

"There isn't much change. I mean, I made it clear to the Bears' leadership that it would be near impossible to get anything done if there was a proposal put on the table by them that could get done.

But in reality, there isn't a proposal on the table right now that would be acceptable to anyone I know in the legislature," said Gov. Pritzker in a statement obtained by CBS.

Given the current state of the stadium agreement and the governor's skepticism, it appears improbable that the Bears will obtain approval for their publicly-funded stadium plan this fall.