Pritzker hints completing Bears stadium deal this year would take a Hail Mary

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Governor Pritzker is doubtful plans for a new publicly-owned Bears Stadium will get the necessary approval this year from state lawmakers.

“Nearly impossible” is how the governor categorized the chances of a plan for a taxpayer-funded stadium getting approved during the legislature’s fall veto session.

“In reality, there isn’t a proposal on the table right now that would be acceptable to anyone I know in the legislature,” the governor said Monday.

Governor Pritzker made that comment at an unrelated press conference in which he said Bears leadership would probably have to wait until the spring session.

It’s been three months since the team unveiled plans for a domed stadium along the lakefront that would require lawmakers to approve public funding that’s estimated to be billions of dollars.

The governor has been cool to the idea of taxpayers helping fund the proposed stadium and said Monday that not much had changed.

A Bears spokeswoman tells WBBM they do not have a comment.

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