Overview
- Indiana’s House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-0 to advance an amended SB 27 creating a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority empowered to acquire land and issue bonds for a Bears stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond.
- The Bears said passage would be their most meaningful step to date and committed to complete site-specific due diligence for the Hammond location.
- Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders backed the framework, modeled on Lucas Oil Stadium financing, with bonds supported by new regional taxes as the team contributes $2 billion.
- An Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee hearing on Bears-related legislation was canceled at the team’s request, drawing a rebuke from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office as Illinois pursues tax-certainty and infrastructure plans for Arlington Heights.
- SB 27 now heads to the full Indiana House before the session ends this month, as Illinois retains a longer window through May and Iowa lawmakers signal interest with new legislation.