Indiana lawmakers took another step Thursday to potentially lure the Chicago Bears to the state with a crucial committee approval to create an agency to build a new stadium for the team.

The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, which handles state spending, voted 24-0 to create a northwest Indiana stadium authority to issue bonds to finance, build and lease a stadium for the Bears near Wolf Lake in Hammond.

Republican House Speaker Todd Huston sponsored the measure, having called it “an incredible economic opportunity.” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has called for bringing the Bears to “The Region,” as northwest Indiana is called.

The Bears would pay $2 billion toward the construction costs. The workings of the deal will be similar to the mechanism that created Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the NFL Indianapolis Colts. The proposal calls for creating several new taxes to help pay for the stadium and its infrastructure, including toll road revenue, a 1% food and beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, and a 5% innkeepers tax in Lake County.

What to know about the Chicago Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field

The Bears issued the following statement in response:

“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. 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. We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe. We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”

The action keeps the pressure on Illinois lawmakers to come up with a counter-proposal. The General Assembly is considering a bill that would allow the team, or any developer of a sufficiently big “Mega Project,” to negotiate long-term property taxes with local taxing bodies. The Bears have said they need that to use their own money to build a new $2 billion stadium in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

The bill was initially scheduled to be discussed during Thursday morning’s House Revenue and Finance Committee hearing, but the hearing was canceled.

In order to move to Arlington Heights, the Bears face a major obstacle: Getting state lawmakers who represent the city of Chicago to incentivize the team to move out of the city limits. The chair of the House Revenue and Finance Committee is state Rep. Curtis Tarver, Democrat who represents a swath of Chicago’s South Side that stretches south from the North Kenwood area to the East Side, which borders Hammond, Ind.

Despite the outside pressure from Indiana’s overtures and his recent acknowledgement of “progress” in Illinois’ discussions with the team, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said his principles on the issue haven’t changed. The proposed megaprojects legislation in Springfield could help the state retain and attract a variety of businesses, not just the Bears, he told reporters after his Wednesday budget and State of the State address.

“There are some principles that I have laid out that we are following, and that continues; nothing has changed about that,” Pritzker said. “That is to say, this deal should be as it would be with any business coming to the state of Illinois or another one expanding in the state: has to be good for the taxpayers. This has to create enough economic opportunity, it has to create enough economic growth that the taxes that come from that over the years are good for the state, as well as lots of jobs and opportunity.”

Pritzker has said the state won’t pay for a stadium, but expressed support for helping to pay for $855 million in requested infrastructure, such as new expressway ramps and utilities. But Chicago lawmakers have been reluctant to help the team leave the city. Some have said the team should pay for more than half a billion dollars in debt left from the 2003 renovation of Soldier Field.

The clock is ticking. Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren had wanted to break ground last year, with a three-year construction period. As the Tribune first reported in December, Warren said Arlington Heights remained the “most viable” site, but the team was considering northwest Indiana after inaction by Illinois lawmakers.

The Illinois legislative session runs through May, often with lawmakers making deals at the last minute, and it may take time to hammer out an agreement with the team. Republican Indiana legislative leaders have said they want to finish a Bears deal by the intended end of their session, Feb. 27.

The Bears lease runs through 2033. They could leave early by paying a penalty of $81 million this year, or lesser amounts if they left in future years, but any additional amount would depend on negotiations with lawmakers.

As a comparison, after fighting in court, the Cleveland Browns recently agreed to pay $100 million to the city and pay to demolish their lakefront stadium for a new domed facility in suburban Brook Park.

The Bears project a stadium deal would create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development, with an enclosed facility allowing for many other events. Economists generally are skeptical of such projections, warning that public subsidies for sports stadiums are bad deals for taxpayers.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/chicago-bears-indiana-stadium-bill/