Indiana Lawmakers Advance Bill to Attract Chicago Bears

Indiana lawmakers on Feb. 19 unanimously advanced legislation aimed at luring the Chicago Bears across the state line, as the NFL franchise weighs building a new stadium in northwest Indiana. The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee voted 24–0 to move the bill forward after adopting an amendment outlining how the state would finance, construct, and oversee a proposed stadium project in the city of Hammond. The measure previously cleared the Indiana Senate last month without the amendment. The legislation would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and a Northwest Indiana Stadium Board to manage the project. It also authorizes the formation of a Northwest Indiana Stadium Development District and a Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Area, both centered in Hammond....