Illinois governor's office meets with Bears, calls their stadium proposal 'unprincipled'

The Bears say taxpayers paying for a large portion of their proposed new stadium will benefit the state of Illinois. The Illinois Governor's Office isn't buying it.

Senior aides to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker met with Bears officials on Wednesday, after which the governor's office issued a statement saying it did not support Bears' proposal.

“As the governor has said, the current proposal is a non-starter for the state,” Press Secretary Alex Goff said in a statement after the meeting. “In order to support a brand-new stadium for a privately owned sports team, the Governor will need to see a clear, tangible benefit to Illinois taxpayers. The Governor’s Office remains open to conversations with the Bears, legislators and other stakeholders with the understanding that responsible fiscal stewardship of taxpayer dollars remains the highest priority.”

the The Bears want about $2.3 billion in taxpayer money For the proposed stadium project, which will include construction of the stadium itself and major renovations to the infrastructure surrounding the stadium. Chicago's mayor supports the proposal, but without the governor's support, the Bears face an extremely tall task to get it done.