Indiana House Passes Bill to Attract Chicago Bears

The Indiana House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to lure the Chicago Bears across the state line, advancing the proposal to the state Senate.

The bill, which passed 95–4 in the House on Feb. 24, would establish the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and a Northwest Indiana Stadium Board to oversee the development and operations of a proposed stadium project in the city of Hammond.

It would also authorize the creation of two financing districts—the Northwest Indiana Stadium Development District and the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Area—centered in the city.

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, a Republican, framed the proposal as a regional investment.

“The bottom line is this project will be paid for by those who benefit from this investment—those who visit, stay in hotels, eat and shop in the area,” he said. “It isn’t just a sports venue. It will bring large-scale global events to Northwest Indiana. This is a transformational opportunity for the region and the state.”

Across the border, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker questioned the financing structure behind the Indiana proposal.

“I’m very interested to see how the people of Indiana, the voters of Indiana, feel about the massive increases in taxes that are being proposed to pay for a stadium in Indiana for the Chicago Bears,” Pritzker, a Democrat, told reporters on Feb. 24. “Do they want to raise their taxes to pay for a stadium in the state of Indiana for the Chicago Bears? We’ll see.”

Pritzker added that “positive discussions” continue between Illinois officials and the Bears.

The team is weighing two primary options for a new stadium: a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana, or property it owns in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights.

The Bears did not respond to a request for comment following the Indiana House vote.

The bill gained momentum this past week when the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced it in a 24–0 vote after adopting an amendment detailing how the state would finance, construct, and oversee the proposed Hammond stadium. The legislation had previously cleared the Indiana Senate without the amendment.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. described the committee’s action as “a very important step,” calling the effort to attract the Bears “a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” according to a city statement.

In a statement issued after the amendment’s adoption, the Bears said the measure “would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date.” The team added that it remains committed to completing the necessary site-specific due diligence to support its vision for a “world-class stadium” near Wolf Lake.

Meanwhile, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said state officials and the franchise had “identified a promising site” and “established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal.” If enacted, he said, the legislation would provide the structure needed to finalize an agreement.

With state House approval secured, the bill now heads to the state Senate, where lawmakers will determine whether Indiana moves forward in its bid to bring the Bears to Hammond—setting up a high-stakes interstate competition that could reshape the team’s future home and the economic landscape of Northwest Indiana.