MOORE’S SUMMARY: Gov. JB Pritzker only had one scheduled meeting in May with the two main legislative negotiators of megaprojects legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois.

According to Pritzker’s calendar, obtained via a public records request, the governor met with Sen. Bill Cunningham and Rep. Kam Buckner for 30 minutes on May 30. It came as the Chicago Democrats tried to hammer out a deal that could pass both chambers.

But ultimately, the megaprojects bill died due to lack of support in the upper chamber and a narrower, Bears-focused bill that would have allowed some municipalities to set up stadium authorities did not receive a vote in the House.

As a result, the Bears announced last week that they’re shifting their focus to building a stadium in Hammond, Indiana. Hoosier lawmakers have promised more than $1 billion in public subsidies to build a football stadium.

WHY IT MATTERS: Pritzker has largely aimed the bill’s failure at the Bears, pointing to “fumbles” the team made in recent years, including a 2024 pivot away from Arlington Heights to a lakefront stadium that would have required more than $900 million in public subsidies — a nonstarter for state lawmakers. He also said the team lacked a legislative plan and didn’t do the necessary blocking and tackling to score a win in the Capitol.

But Pritzker has also faced criticism for his approach to the megaprojects issue. He largely took a hands-of approach, telling reporters last month that the bill was “in the legislature’s hands.” Several Statehouse observers told us they believed something could have gotten through before the end of May if Pritzker expended more political capital and worked state lawmakers a little more.

WHAT THE CALENDAR SAYS: There were more than 30 entries for meetings or calls with legislators between January and May, according Pritzker’s calendar.

In addition to the joint meeting with the two megaprojects negotiators on May 30, Pritzker held a one-on-one “office hours” meeting with Buckner on March 24 that lasted 45 minutes. Buckner, a member of House Democratic leadership, is also one of the caucus’ lead budgeteers.

Pritzker met the most with the two Democratic legislative leaders this spring. He had four scheduled one-on-one meetings with Senate President Don Harmon, two with House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and 10 involving both. Six leaders meetings came in the final week of session as they worked to hammer out a budget and other legislative goals.

The governor also spoke with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Jan. 9, Jan. 12 and Feb. 10, according to his calendar.

CAUTION: A calendar is only a glimpse into who Pritzker meets, talks to and when. Some of these discussions happen off the books, through unofficial channels or via other methods that escape disclosure.

Talking to reporters after an unrelated event in Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker mentioned that even if he’s not in Springfield on certain session days and doesn’t have meetings with lawmakers on his calendar, he’s still talking to them.

WE PUT A PLAN TOGETHER: And even if Pritzker himself hasn’t been as directly involved in megaprojects negotiations, his top advisor on the budget and economic development — Deputy Gov. Andy Manar — has engaged with legislators throughout. Still, Pritzker defended his leadership, arguing that he was letting the legislative process play out.

“We put a plan together,” Pritzker said. “I called it the ‘scaffolding of a plan’ because trying to impose upon the House, impose upon the Senate one thing without their input wouldn’t have made sense. So we had to do that. We had to go through the House, we had to go through the Senate, but as you saw, they ran out of time.”

Pritzker said “it’s a mistake to say somehow that there’s anything less than full commitment on my part to getting a legislative priority done.”

He said he was “on the phone with several of the Republican legislators during the final portions of the session to make sure that they were on board” with the megaprojects bill. Two Republicans voted for the Senate-passed bill, though another involved in talks, Sen. Seth Lewis, R-Bartlett, said Pritzker displayed “a complete lack of leadership.”

Pritzker said he would be “happy” to call a special session if lawmakers can unite behind a bill, though Welch has ruled out calling the House back before the fall session.

POLITICAL CAPITAL? Asked how much political capital he’d be willing to expend to get a Bears deal across the finish line, Pritzker said he “does it all the time,” and will “continue to do so to get things done on a priority basis.”

Further up on the list: Tackling affordability issues and dealing with federal spending cuts enacted by the Trump administration to food stamps and programs like Medicaid. As for the Bears?

“I will continue to work with the Chicago Bears and anybody who wants to make sure that we provide them with what it is they need that isn’t going to cost taxpayers more money,” Pritzker said.

OTHER MAY CALENDAR NOTES:

• May 19: Pritzker had lunch with former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in Peoria
• May 22: The governor made a 15-minute stop to Al’s Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago to film a video for National Italian Beef Day
• May 28: Pritzker was interviewed for a documentary about late former Gov. Jim Edgar