House to return Monday for tax-break vote

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois House lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol Monday in yet another effort to approve tax breaks for Sears Holdings Corp., CME Group and others.

The effort is intended to keep both companies in Illinois after threats they might abandon their Chicago-area headquarters to chase bigger tax offers in other states.

But the details of the deal have yet to be finalized, said a spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Tom Cross.

“Discussions continue,” said spokeswoman Sara Wojcicki Jimenez. “But we’re committed to continue working on a jobs package.”

The Sears provisions haven’t changed in recent weeks: The company would see its property tax breaks extended with Hoffman Estates as well as some income tax breaks.

In addition, the company would have to pay back some of that aid if it leaves, and local governments would see their yearly take double.

Still, the overall package stalled in the House, where some lawmakers thought it would be too expensive.

An idea has emerged this week to perhaps split the proposal into separate parts in an effort to win approval, separating tax breaks for businesses from credits for working people.

Illinois Senate officials haven’t said when they plan to return to Springfield, but because they already approved a tax plan, they’d likely want to meet after the House in order to see what lawmakers there can approve.