Illinois Quick Hits: Housing, megaprojects take backseat to budget talks

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Top Democrat leaders in the Illinois legislature met with Gov. J.B. Pritzker late Friday behind closed doors in the State Capitol.

The meeting comes as the General Assembly approaches the final hours before a budget and other major legislative initiatives must pass.

The governor told members of the media he is focused on passing a balanced budget.

He said balancing the spending plan is especially difficult, but important this year, citing cuts in federal spending, attributed to President Donald Trump, which the state is seeking to make up for.

NO PUBLIC PROGRESS ON ‘BEARS BILL’

A key legislative proposal that is partially designed to satisfy requests the Chicago Bears have said are necessary for the team to begin on a new stadium project in Arlington Heights has made no new public progress as the clock winds down to pass the measure.

Already passed by the Illinois House, there has been little from the Senate regarding the full “Megaprojects” proposal in recent days. Senate President Don Harmon told reporters that his meeting with the governor was centered solely on discussion of the state budget.

“We’ll talk when there’s something to talk about,” Harmon said when asked if there are plans for discussions on the bill.

EXPANSION OF MIXED-USE ZONING TABLED BY SENATE

The “Faith-Based Housing and Mixed-Use By-Right” act was procedurally moved forward by the Senate Executive Committee Friday evening on the handshake agreement that it wouldn’t be passed by the end of spring session this weekend.

Though not officially listed in the package making up Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Building Up Illinois Developments,” or BUILD, housing initiative, intentions behind the text to expand opportunities to develop mixed-use properties statewide reflects those of the governor’s proposal.

State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, agreed to table the bill, pending further negotiations and work with Illinois Municipal League CEO Brad Cole over the summer.

The larger BUILD plan faced scrutiny from the IML over concern that a variety of the measures would be an overstep from the state, preempting the authority of local governments to regulate zoning.

COALITION CALLS FOR PROGRESSIVE-PITCHED TAX MEASURES

A growing collection of organizations from Chicago rallied on the steps of the Capitol early in the day Saturday.

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, among other labor groups, called on state lawmakers to not make cuts to the state budget this year.

Instead of cuts in state spending, the members of the coalition asked the legislature impose taxes on corporations, among other major tax proposals.