Indiana lawmakers on Feb. 19 unanimously advanced legislation aimed at luring the Chicago Bears across the state line, as the NFL franchise weighs building a new stadium in northwest Indiana.
The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee voted 24–0 to move the bill forward after adopting an amendment outlining how the state would finance, construct, and oversee a proposed stadium project in the city of Hammond. The measure previously cleared the Indiana Senate last month without the amendment.
The legislation would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and a Northwest Indiana Stadium Board to manage the project. It also authorizes the formation of a Northwest Indiana Stadium Development District and a Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Area, both centered in Hammond.
The Bears, in a statement issued after the amendment’s adoption, said the bill “would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date.” The team added that it is “committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence” to support its vision for a “world-class stadium” near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond.
The Indiana push comes as efforts to retain the team continue in Illinois.
A legislative committee in Springfield had been scheduled to meet Feb. 19 to consider a proposal that would allow the Bears—along with developers undertaking large-scale projects—to negotiate long-term property tax agreements with local taxing authorities. The meeting was canceled.
The Bears have also explored relocating to Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of Chicago, as part of their broader stadium search.
Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have both said they want the team to remain in Illinois.
Since relocating to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their home stadium. The team played at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 and has played at Soldier Field ever since.