OAK PARK, Ill. (WTVO) – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called Thursday’s announcement from the Chicago Bears “surprising” and “disheartening” after the team praised Indiana lawmakers for laying the foundation for a new stadium in Hammond.
An Indiana House committee on Thursday advanced Senate Bill 27, which would create a stadium finance agency to help the team build a domed stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana, just across the Illinois state line.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Houston said the Bears have committed $2 billion to the project.
Pritzker, speaking at an unrelated event on Friday, said Illinois officials were blindsided by the outcome. Team statementnoted that the governor’s team and Bears representatives spent more than three hours on Wednesday reviewing a bill that “mostly” reflects the framework for negotiations for Arlington Heights Stadium.
The Bears later asked Illinois lawmakers to cancel Thursday’s hearing so they could “tweak” items in the bill, but released a statement targeting Indiana hours later.
Pritzker said the team assured state officials that the announcement “was not confirmation that they were moving to Indiana,” despite appearances. Illinois is now waiting for clarity on the Bears’ next move.
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