Indiana Gov. Mike Braun Extends Gas Tax Break, Considers Chicago Bears Stadium Move
Indiana Governor Mike Braun details the extension of the state’s gas tax suspension, giving Hoosier drivers relief of more than 62 cents per gallon. He highlights Indiana’s strong economy and fiscal responsibility as the state actively pursues the Chicago Bears, criticizing Illinois’ handling of stadium negotiations. Governor Braun expects a decision on the Bears’ possible move to Hammond, Indiana, within weeks.
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We could be watching the end of an era unfold in real time as a legacy NFL franchise with a century of history in its iconic American city moves forward with plans to leave the city: The Bears are moving forward with their stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana.
The team announced Friday afternoon that it has taken this important step to remove the stakes in Chicago and even the state of Illinois.
The Bears board of directors met Thursday night and voted to move forward with the stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with an exact site to be selected.
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and Chicago’s South Side through the Loop and through the neighborhoods and suburbs that extend north of the city,” Bears President George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement.
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“It will bring Chicago together and provide new opportunities for its residents and businesses.”
This is the first time the team’s board of directors has voted at a stadium site. So this is notable and significant, but an NFL source told Pak Gazette there’s a chance Illinois could still convince the team to stay in the state. These opportunities were characterized as requiring a “Hail Mary” political effort.
And this: That Hail Mary, even if it worked, would move the club out of Chicago, with the only Illinois site as a possible landing spot being Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on September 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Image Images)
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The NFL has been meeting with both the Bears and officials from Illinois and Indiana over the past six months, and the league’s Stadium Committee is aware of the club’s latest decision.
“The club has kept the stadium committee and the league office informed of all developments,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN in a statement.
The NFL apparently has no qualms about the Bears moving from Chicago. The New York Giants moved from New York and crossed state lines to New Jersey. The New York Jets followed.
The Raiders left Oakland for Los Angeles, then left Los Angeles and are now in Las Vegas. The Rams, similarly, left Los Angeles for St. Louis and then returned to Los Angeles.
And the St. Louis Cardinals are now the Arizona Cardinals.
Chicago Bears President George H. McCaskey introduces new Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren during a press conference at Halas Hall in Chicago, Illinois, on January 17, 2023. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)
New, shiny, money-making stadiums have a way of attracting NFL teams.
Chicago, and to a lesser extent, Illinois, haven’t exactly been interested in helping the Bears build a shiny, profitable new stadium within their borders.
A “megaprojects” bill died in the Illinois Senate last Sunday. The proposal would have allowed the Bears to negotiate payments in lieu of paying property taxes on the property they currently own in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
At 11 p.m. Sunday, Illinois State Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) introduced legislation that would allow Cook County cities with more than 70,000 residents (such as Arlington Heights and Chicago) to create their own sports stadium authority. The Bears would have then paid for the construction of the new stadium, to which the franchise has dedicated $2 billion in funds.
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The bill would have given the team certainty on the property tax, but it was unsuccessful.
Indiana passed similar legislation for the Bears in February, and Gov. Mike Braun signed the bill into law.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker together during a press conference amid reports of federal deployments in Chicago on September 2, 2025. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
As things stand now, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker look, well, pretty bad.
They are the politicians who, whether through inaction or poor planning, failed to push through legislation to help keep the Bears, first, in Chicago and, second, in the state.
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They may well be remembered as the politicians who oversaw the departure of a franchise founded in Illinois in 1920 that was moved to Chicago by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and owner George Halas in 1921.
Here we are more than a century later, and the Bears have one foot out the door in both Chicago and Illinois.
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