The Chicago Bears have officially made up their minds to leave the land of Lincoln for Hammond, Indiana, after local lawmakers failed to pass a bill incentivizing the team to stay.
The team announced the plan Friday, saying the board for the Bears voted on the move the day before.
Illinois lawmakers say the deal isn’t done yet, however.
What did the Bears say?
The team’s decision comes after Indiana lawmakers courted the team by passing a framework to help finance a new stadium.
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” the Bears said in a statement. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
The exact site for the stadium has not yet been determined.
Brandon Johnson evokes hope after Bears announcement
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement Friday following the team’s announcement.
“Over the last several years the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions, today’s announcement is not surprising,” Johnson said. “It’s also not surprising the Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal.”
Johnson went on to say, “Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City of Chicago will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.”
Illinois House Speaker defends lawmakers’ decisions
Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch shared his opinion in a statement Friday.
“In April, the House passed an economic development package that was the product of extensive negotiation with the Bears and other stakeholders,” Welch said. “That bipartisan legislation reflected our belief that we can incentivize statewide development and provide property tax relief for working families.”
Welch said Illinois “has focused on the needs of working families” instead of “taxpayer-funded stadiums,” unlike Indiana, which is “willing to raise taxes.”
“Illinois remains open to ongoing efforts to secure the Bears in Illinois,” he said. “However, it will take time to get it right.”
Has Pritzker said anything about the Bears?
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has not yet released a public statement regarding the team’s decision.
The governor said Monday that he could live with it if the team ultimately decided to leave, however, according to Forbes.
“The reality is that I wasn’t willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money in order to give it to a billionaire-owned family, or team, and believe very much that the incentives that we provide for businesses are to be similar to the incentives we provide to this type of business,” Pritzker said.
“As much of an emotional connection as many of us have to the Bears, and to keeping them in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, [the] No. 1 principle is we’re not going to foist this on the taxpayers of the state of Illinois,” he continued.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois lawmakers react to Bears announcement, say it’s not ‘done deal’
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall and Marissa Meador, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Hudnall and Marissa Meador, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
