Potawatomi hope to finalize land transfer when Illinois lawmakers return in the fall

The leader of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation says he believes Illinois lawmakers will eventually pass a bill granting the tribe title to a 1,500-acre park in DeKalb County, but it may take a few more months.

Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said in a statement this week that a bill granting the tribe ownership of Shabbona Lake and State Park outside of Aurora had bipartisan support in both chambers, but lawmakers simply ran out of time before giving it final passage.