SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Li Arellano Jr (R-Dixon) issued the following statement after voting against legislation providing property tax incentives to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois:
“While it’s nice, as a Bears fan myself, to see Illinois do something to address stadium property taxes, I believe this victory comes at a cost to our hardworking taxpayers.
“For decades, Illinois Democrats have shoved tax after tax down our throats. We already pay among the highest gas taxes, property taxes, cell phone taxes, and overall state/local tax burdens in the nation. Families and seniors have begged for property tax relief for years and received nothing but silence.
“But when a billion-dollar NFL franchise needs help, Governor J.B. Pritzker and his Democratic Party allies are willing to suspend the rules in the middle of the night to force a vote!
“We should be passing relief for all. Illinois has become unaffordable under one-party rule. We should never have had to bribe the Bears to stay.
“It’s past time to help Illinois families and local businesses, and not just mega-businesses and major sports teams.”