Bears inch closer to Indiana after key state House committee clears stadium measure

The latest section successful the Chicago Bears stadium saga unfolded this week arsenic an Indiana House sheet unanimously approved authorities that lays retired a financing model for a imaginable NFL facility.

Senate Bill 27 cleared the House Ways and Means Committee and present heads to the afloat House for a vote. The House would request to walk the measure earlier the legislature adjourns astatine the extremity of February.

The measure would found the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, granting the caller bureau powerfulness to oversee onshore acquisition and coordinate financing for operation of a state-of-the-art installation adjacent Wolf Lake successful Hammond, Indiana.

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A wide presumption of the exterior of Soldier Field is seen during a preseason crippled betwixt the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins connected Aug. 14, 2021 astatine Soldier Field successful Chicago, Illinois. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott jointly announced Thursday's 24-0 committee vote.

"Indiana is unfastened for business," Braun said. "We've identified a promising tract adjacent Wolf Lake successful Hammond and established a wide model for negotiating a last deal."

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The Bears reacted to the news, releasing a connection describing the improvement successful Indiana arsenic "the astir meaningful measurement guardant successful our stadium readying efforts to date."

"We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific indispensable owed diligence to enactment our imaginativeness to physique a world-class stadium adjacent the Wolf Lake country successful Hammond, Indiana," the team's connection added.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson underscored his presumption that the NFL franchise should stay successful the metropolis that bears the team’s name. 

"The Bears beryllium successful the City of Chicago," helium said astatine a quality conference.

"I've said repeatedly that the doorway is ever unfastened for conversations. (Bears CEO) Kevin Warren did telephone maine yesterday, we didn't get a accidental to connect. I inactive firmly judge that their champion presumption is successful Chicago and the grounds is intelligibly speaking for itself."

A wide presumption during the U.S. National Anthem earlier a NFL crippled betwixt the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals astatine Soldier Field connected Dec. 24, 2023 successful Chicago, Illinois. (Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports)

The Bears person alternated betwixt processing onshore successful Arlington Heights and rebuilding connected the Chicago lakefront astatine Soldier Field, earlier shifting backmost to the suburb. The Bears person played astatine historical Soldier Field since 1971. The lakefront stadium archetypal opened successful 1924 and has undergone galore renovations implicit the decades.

The Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee was scheduled to clasp a proceeding Thursday greeting connected a measure that would let the Bears and immoderate different developer of a ample capable task to negociate semipermanent spot taxation rates with section taxing bodies. But that got canceled.

A wide presumption of Chicago Bears helmets earlier the commencement of the crippled against Las Vegas Raiders astatine Allegiant Stadium connected Sept. 28, 2025 successful Paradise, Nevada. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

"Illinois was acceptable to determination this measure forward," Matt Hill, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, wrote connected X. "After a productive three-hour gathering yesterday, the Bears leaders requested the (Illinois General Assembly) intermission the proceeding to marque further tweaks to the bill. This morning, we were amazed to spot a connection lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois."

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The Bears hosted 2 playoff games astatine Soldier Field successful January, defeating part rival Green Bay successful a wild-card circular thriller. The pursuing week, the Los Angeles Rams outlasted the Bears successful a frigid divisional circular matchup successful Chicago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bears inch person to Indiana aft House program clears stadium measure, Gov. Braun declares authorities 'open for business'