Indiana unanimously passes bill to lure Bears away from Chicago - ESPN

The Chicago Bears' endeavor for a new stadium took a «meaningful step» forward Thursday, opening the door for the storied franchise to leave Illinois to potentially build a new, domed stadium in Northwest Indiana.

Indiana lawmakers in the state House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved an amendment to Indiana State Bill 27 by a vote of 24-0 on Thursday that would clear a path for the Bears to build a stadium in Hammond, Indiana.

The bill would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority with the power to issue bonds, acquire land and finance construction for the stadium.

«The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,» the Bears said in statement obtained by ESPN. «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 area of Wolf Lake, which crosses the Illinois-Indiana border along Interstate 90, is located on Chicago's southeast side and in Hammond in Northwest, Indiana, which is around 25 minutes south of Soldier Field.

On his X account, Indiana governor Mike Braun wrote «Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears.