Indiana Panel Advances Plan to Lure Chicago Bears to Hammond
An Indiana committee passed SB27 24-0 as the Bears said Hammond near Wolf Lake is the site they are focused on, moving a long-running stadium fight between Indiana and Illinois forward.
Overview
An Indiana House committee voted 24-0 to advance SB27 to create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority as the Bears said Hammond near Wolf Lake is the site they are focused on.
The move matters because it signals a possible team relocation and followed cancellation of an Illinois House hearing and the Bears' pause in Illinois talks, Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun hailed the proposal while Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston called it historic and said the Bears could invest $2 billion.
SB27 would let a stadium be sold to the Bears for $1 after 40-year bonds are paid and allow a 35-year lease letting the team keep all stadium revenues, the bill says.
Hoosier lawmakers aim to pass the bill by the end of next week while Bears officials say they will finish site-specific due diligence and Illinois lawmakers remain in session through May.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as Indiana-driven momentum, emphasizing legislative wins and upbeat local officials while casting Illinois as reactive. Editorial choices—language like “jovial hearing,” “choke up,” “miffed” and “trumpeted,” prioritizing Indiana quotes and legislative detail, and leading with Hammond’s progress—construct a narrative of forward motion despite Bears’ noncommittal source content.
Sources (5)
FAQ
SB27 proposes creating the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to issue bonds, acquire land, and finance a stadium in Hammond for the Chicago Bears. It allows the stadium to be sold to the Bears for $1 after 40-year bonds are paid and includes a 35-year lease where the team keeps all revenues.
The proposed site is near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana, which straddles the Illinois-Indiana border along Interstate 90, about 25 minutes south of Soldier Field.
The Bears paused talks in Illinois after requesting cancellation of a House hearing on a bill for tax negotiations. They had sought $850 million in public funding for infrastructure at their Arlington Heights site but are now focusing on Indiana.
The Bears plan to invest $2 billion in the stadium. The bill enables bond financing, with the stadium transferring to the team for $1 after bonds are paid.
History
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