The Chicago Bears seem to be prepared to leave the state, despite Illinois lawmakers saying legislation was in the works.
Indiana leaders announced Feb. 19 that a deal was struck to potentially relocate the team to a new stadium in Hammond, about 30 miles southeast of the Windy City.
Here’s what we know.
Are the Bears leaving Illinois?
The deal is pending the passage of a bill providing the financial framework and further details for the proposed Hammond site.
“It represents a transformational investment for northwest Indiana and our state,” House Speaker Todd Huston told the House ways and means committee, sharing that the Chicago Bears are willing to invest $2 billion in a stadium site in the region.
Indiana lawmakers have also outlined a set of investment promises from the state, Lake and Porter counties to bring the stadium to fruition, expressed in the form of Senate Bill 27.
“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,” the Bears said in a statement. “We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun clarified that the deal is by no means finalized, however, calling the situation a “framework for negotiating a final deal” in an X post.
“We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers,” he said.
Illinois legislators chime in on Bears announcement
A communications staff person for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker weighed in on the announcement on X, citing a cancelled revenue and finance committee meeting on Feb. 19.
“Illinois was ready to move this bill forward,” Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Matt Hill wrote. “After a productive three hour meeting yesterday, the Bears leaders requested the ILGA (Illinois General Assembly) pause the hearing to make further tweaks to the bill. This morning, we were surprised to see a statement lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois.”
The bill in question, Illinois House Bill 2789, would freeze the Bears’ property tax assessment and allow the organization to negotiate a payment with local taxing bodies for up to 40 years.
Capitol News Illinois reported Feb. 17 that the legislation had “positive momentum,” and as Hill said, lawmakers were meeting with leadership from the Bears on hashing out details for a new potential domed stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Where in Indiana would the Bears potentially move?
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said on X that lawmakers “identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond,” which is located in northwest Indiana’s Lake County.Â
The city sits near Lake Michigan’s southern tip and about seven miles west of Gary.
What happens next with Indiana legislation?
The bill has passed through the Senate and received unanimous approval by the House Ways and Means committee, meaning it’ll head to the House floor next.
It is not immediately clear if or when the House will vote on the Indiana bill, but it would need to do so before session ends on Feb. 27.
CONTRIBUTING: Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Are Chicago Bears leaving Illinois? What we know about Indiana deal
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall and Kayla Dwyer, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
