Staff Reports
On February 19, 2026, the momentum finally shifted away from Illinois as Indiana lawmakers moved with uncommon speed and unity to roll out the welcome mat for the Chicago Bears. Senate Bill 27 — which creates a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and fast-tracks site work near Wolf Lake in Hammond — cleared a key hurdle, and the Bears themselves called the vote the most meaningful step forward in their stadium search.
This is not theater; team officials have said Hammond is now the site they are focused on, a tacit admission that after years of stalled talks in Springfield the franchise is ready to take its business to a state that actually wants it. Indiana’s zero-hesitation approach, backed by Republican leaders eager to compete for jobs and investment, contrasts sharply with the glacial pace of Illinois politicians.
You don’t have to be a diehard fan to see why hardworking taxpayers in Indiana applauded: when a red state offers a predictable, pro-growth framework, private capital follows and jobs follow behind. Illinois Democrats, meanwhile, punted on critical hearings and stalled tax relief discussions that would have kept the team in-state, proving once again that obstructionist politics drives businesses away.
Indiana’s bill gives the state and local leaders the authority to build the stadium, with terms that hand the Bears the financial upside a franchise needs to justify a multibillion-dollar move; reports say the proposal would have the team lease for decades and retain stadium revenues, with aggressive financing options on the table. That kind of deal is what you get in a state that prioritizes economic growth instead of endless regulatory roadblocks and punitive tax schemes.
Predictably, the Illinois political class is spinning this as some sort of betrayal, with Governor Pritzker calling the talks a “slap in the face” even as his caucus failed to act when it mattered. If Illinois’ response to losing a cultural and economic anchor is posturing rather than reform, the rest of the country will watch the city bleed jobs while politicians trade soundbites.
Americans who love football and free enterprise should be rooting for the Bears to land in a place that respects private investment and delivers results, not in a political theater built on endless delays and broken promises. If Indiana gets the deal done, it will be a win for common-sense governance and a timely reminder that conservative, pro-growth policies deliver real-world outcomes for workers and families.
