Should losing pro teams get taxpayer money for new stadiums? Some say no.

• Illinois Democratic state Rep. Bob Morgan introduced a bill on Thursday that ties taxpayer financing for professional sports stadiums to a team’s performance.
• The proposal mandates any team wanting public dollars toward renovations to an existing sports complex or wanting to build a new one would need to have winning seasons in three of the past five years.
• Under the proposal, neither the Chicago Bears nor Chicago White Sox would qualify for taxpayer financing.

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An Illinois state lawmaker’s proposal may not receive much fanfare from professional sports team owners, especially in Chicago. Democratic State Rep. Bob Morgan of Deerfield introduced a new bill on Thursday, Feb. 6, that ties taxpayer financing for professional sports stadiums to a team’s performance.

The proposal mandates any team wanting public dollars toward renovations to an existing sports complex or wanting to build a new one would need to have winning seasons in three of the past five seasons.

Why is it especially important to Chicago?

The legislative proposal comes as both the Chicago Bear and Chicago White Sox are pushing for public financing for a new stadium and ballpark.

Morgan said the aim is to make sure taxpayer money is spent wisely.

“No one wants to see taxpayer dollars wasted by billionaire team owners that are not investing in their teams’ competitiveness,” Morgan said.

The Bears are currently seeking $2.4 billion in taxpayer money toward a new domed stadium, while the White Sox are looking to construct a new ballpark with $1.1 billion in public financing.

The Bears’ stadium is expected to cost $4.7 billion to build while the White Sox ballpark complex, which includes a hotel, apartments and other amenities, is estimated to cost $4 billion.

Both teams have struggled over the last several years. The Bears’ last winning was in 2018 and last year the White Sox had the dubious honor of setting Major League Baseball’s (MLB) all-time record for losses in a season at 121.

Under Morgan’s proposal, neither franchise would qualify for taxpayer financing, but the bill still needs to be reviewed before it can move forward.