Illinois lawmakers fumble attempt to keep Chicago Bears

Indiana's chances of gaining a new NFL franchise are perhaps looking a little brighter.

A last minute attempt by Illinois Senators to keep the Chicago Bears in their namesake city failed to pass during the 11th hour of a legislative session early June 1.

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Lawmakers in the Prairie State scrambled late into the night before to create an incentive package that would allow Arlington Heights or Chicago to form public-private partnerships, writes the Chicago Tribune, a move to entice the storied NFL franchise to remain in Illinois.

The deal would have allowed municipalities with populations of at least 70,000 people to build a new stadium without paying property taxes on the facility.

But the last-ditch bill proposed by Illinois senators failed to gain enough traction by their House colleagues, who didn't take up the measure for a vote, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The clock on the legislative session eventually ran out, leaving the fate of a new stadium for the Chicago Bears in limbo. The team released a statement hours later, according to NBC Chicago.

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“We will finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond, and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated," the statement said. "We will provide an update when we have a decision to share.”

More about Chicago Bears deal: Illinois' Chicago Bears deal hits last-minute snag. Where things stand

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John Tufts covers trending and breaking news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at John.Tufts@IndyStar.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Chicago Bears stadium bill fumbled by Illinois lawmakers