Illinois lawmakers are clashing over a high-stakes plan to keep the Chicago Bears from moving to Indiana, a proposal that could reshape property taxes and funnel billions into a new stadium development.

The House voted 78-32 to pass the bill on April 22, which creates a “megaproject” tool that would allow large developments, such as the Bears, to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, with local taxing bodies. It’s now headed to the Senate, which returned to Springfield on Tuesday and is expected to be debated over the coming weeks. The move comes after Indiana lawmakers offered more than $1 billion in public subsidies to the Bears to build their new stadium just across the state line in Hammond.

The amended 377-page bill is about 10 times longer than the version a House committee approved in February. Most of the votes to pass it came from Democrats, but it also had support from 10 Republicans and opposition from five Democrats.

“[The bill allows different] mechanisms that allow organizations like the Bears to remain a part of Illinois’ stream of commerce and to also entice other entities, who may be domiciled in other places, to come here to the state of Illinois,” said state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, who sponsored the bill.

One change is that the bill separates megaprojects into tiers. The first is for projects with at least $100 million in investment, which allows developers to lock in property tax payments for up to 25 years. An investment of at least $500 million would allow a 30-year agreement, and at least $1 billion, such as the Bears’ proposal, would allow a 40-year agreement. Another five years could be added to projects in each tier if the site requires environmental remediation.

It’s unclear whether those rebates would fully offset potential increases for nearby taxpayers, a key concern raised by opponents.

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, who voted against the bill, called it the “Bears bailout bill” and said it was “rushed through the legislative process” in a news release Monday.

“This bill is a clear example of Illinois picking winners and losers, with working people consistently on the losing end. By granting hundreds of millions in property tax relief to billionaires, we are shifting the tax burden onto local property owners, jeopardizing homeownership and harming middle-class families,” Niemerg said.

According to Niemerg’s release, the bill brings no comprehensive tax relief to everyday families and could result in constitutional concerns about unfair and unequal taxation.

“The House is bending over backwards to support mega projects [and] they have no real plan to help working families,” Niemerg said.

State Rep. Jed Davis, R-Lisbon, told Shaw Local that he voted against it for a similar reason.

“This bill opens the door to higher property taxes. Families are already stretched thin. Giving government more ways to raise taxes is the wrong direction,” Davis said.

A major change to the bill the House approved aims to address those concerns. It provides that 50% of the receipts from the PILOT would go towards property tax relief. Of that, 60% would go to property tax rebates for residential homeowners in taxing districts with a megaproject, and 40% would be deposited into the state’s existing property tax relief fund.

State Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, who was one of 10 in the House minority that voted yes, told Shaw Local he did so for economic development.

“Illinois needs economic growth, we need jobs and we need to be competitive. That is one of my top priorities in the legislature,” Fritts said, adding that this bill supports that priority.

Megaprojects also would qualify for a sales tax exemption on building materials under the state’s existing High Impact Business Program.

The amended bill also added provisions that exclude data centers and residential units, except for specific projects that meet affordable housing standards, from qualifying as megaprojects. It also says that the economic benefits that the project would bring to underserved communities must be considered.

Fritts said his support of the bill came with the expectation that key revisions would follow in the Senate.

“My top request is to explicitly include stronger property taxpayer protection language to make sure the property tax burden is not shifted onto nearby homeowners and business owners. I’ll be watching for that change as the bill comes back from the Senate and evaluate the language before the final vote,” Fritts said.

The bill also includes a provision that bars lawmakers and local officials from accepting free sports tickets from a team with a megaproject deal unless that same deal is offered to the public. It also calls for the megaproject tool to end after seven years to allow lawmakers to reassess its effectiveness.

“Remember the grocery tax? The state stepped back and gave local governments the option and many chose to impose it anyway. This bill follows the same model. It creates the opportunity, and history tells us what happens next,” Davis said. “Some lawmakers are willing to take the risk in the name of economic development. I’m not willing to gamble with people’s property tax bills.”

Niemerg said that the urgency to pass the bill “is driven by political pressure from Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democrats.”

“This legislation is a sham and must be rejected and the real sad part is there is no guarantee the Bears will even stay,” Niemerg said.

The Bears have said that long-term tax certainty is a prerequisite for building the stadium in Arlington Heights, and this bill would provide that. The bill would also fund infrastructure improvements in the surrounding area, which is also something the team has asked for in negotiations.

The team said in a statement after Wednesday’s vote that they “welcome the progress,” but indicated that additional changes to the bill are needed to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for its stadium project.

The bill now faces negotiations in the Senate, where lawmakers are expected to push for additional taxpayer protections before a final vote.