Indiana committee advances stadium authority bill as Bears weigh Hammond option

#Bears’ Indiana Stadium Bill Advances

The Bears took a meaningful step toward a possible move to northwest Indiana on Thursday when the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee approved SB 27 by a 24–0 vote.

#What SB 27 Would Do

The proposal would establish a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the ability to finance, build, and lease a stadium. Team officials are studying land near Wolf Lake in Hammond as a potential site.

#Bears’ Position Right Now

Chicago said the committee vote represented its biggest stadium-planning development so far and added that site-specific due diligence is still in progress before any final commitment.

#Indiana’s Push

Indiana leaders, including Gov. Mike Braun, have openly pushed to attract the franchise while the Bears continue to pursue options in Illinois.

#Illinois Bill Hits a Pause

At the same time, an Illinois House committee canceled a scheduled hearing on a separate bill that would allow major developments to negotiate long-term property-tax arrangements with local taxing bodies.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said Illinois was prepared to move that measure and said the Bears requested a delay to revise details, then publicly emphasized Indiana’s momentum.

#Stadium Plans Keep Shifting

The team’s stadium direction has shifted repeatedly between Arlington Heights and a lakefront concept near Soldier Field before returning to Arlington Heights. Chicago has said it can fund stadium construction there but still needs public help for surrounding infrastructure.

A consultant report released in September pegged that infrastructure ask at about $855 million, and an earlier tax-freeze push for large projects failed to pass last fall.