IVCA Provides Updates for State Legislative Issues – 10/01/2025
Illinois Venture Capital Association Illinois Legislative Report
David Stricklin / Stricklin & Associates
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
LINING UP FOR VETO SESSIONLegislators and the governor return to Springfield October 14,15 and 16 for the first week of Veto Session. With unified control of the legislature and the executive branch, Illinois Democrats have very little to do in terms of upholding or overriding vetoes. These days the Veto Session serves as a safety valve for issues which were not resolved in the Spring Session, or which have matured since adjournment in May. Among the issues which could be considered are mass transit reform and funding, renewable energy, and the never-say-die question of moving the Chicago Bears to Arlington Heights.House speaker unsure if there’s enough support for Bears stadium tax break. Daily Herald…– During an appearance in Arlington Heights Tuesday night, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said he’s unsure whether property tax break legislation that would allow the Bears to leave Chicago for the Northwest suburb has a chance of passing.- Gov. JB Pritzker, who has said he prefers the Bears remain within city limits, has expressed support for the megaproject concept, but earlier this month declared it a “prerequisite” for the Bears to first pay off the $534 million owed for the 2003 Soldier Field renovations.- On Tuesday night, Welch told the Daily Herald he and House Democrats are “open to listening” to such proposals. “If the megaprojects bill is going to pass, you still need to convince 26 Chicago legislators that it’s good for Chicago as well,” Welch said. “And so is that something that can convince Chicago legislators that it’s a good thing? I don’t know. I think that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNORNorth Shore policy expert Ted Dabrowski is running and has earned endorsements from former legislators who once supported one of his opponents (see below) and from well know Republican donors:DRABOWSKI DRAWS BIG DOLLARSFormer State Senator Darren Bailey is running for governor again. He was defeated by Governor JB Pritzker in the 2022 contest. * WSPY | During visit to Yorkville, Bailey and Del Mar talk taxes, power shifts as they begin campaign for governor’s race: The second time around, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is counting on people to know they need to get off the fence and show up at the polls. The southern Illinois farmer carried 100 of the state’s 102 counties in [the 2022 primary] but got just 42 percent of the vote overall [in the general], his popularity offset by J.B. Pritzker’s mainly in heavily Democratic and densely populated Cook County. Bailey says the state’s in deeper distress now and taxes are a big reason.