Geoff Buchholz

Maybe I'll wind up on US 99 next hour.

We'll see.

A lot has been happening already today.

I'll fill you in on the latest and I'll apologize to the audience if I'm repeating anything you guys have just said in the last few minutes.

The Illinois House Revenue Committee, by a 13 to 7 vote about an hour ago, approved the megaprojects bill.

This is the bill that would let any megaproject developer, including a sports stadium developer, for instance, negotiate a long-term property tax deal with local school districts and communities and make those projects.

Property tax obligations good through, like, one-time payments.

That's why we call it the pilot bill, the payment in lieu of taxes, right?

The bill also, in the text that I read last night that was introduced by Chicago State House Democrat Cam Buckner, friend of the score, would also provide a sales tax break for building materials for those megaprojects.

I haven't priced sheetrock recently, but I imagine that's a pretty significant break.

I mean, yeah, exactly.

So it was approved apparently on a party vote.

It's now headed to the full House.

It could get a vote this afternoon.

And, of course, if it doesn't get a vote this afternoon, the House is off for two weeks.

Well, if they don't vote on it, we get a break.

But if they do vote on it, and I suspect they will, then it'll go to the Senate.

And the Senate is still in session next week.

The House has taken a couple of weeks off.

So that's happening in Illinois.