The Chicago Bears might be progressing with plans for a stadium in Indiana, but one Illinois lawmaker thinks the battle to keep the franchise is far from over.
State Sen. Sue Rezin said Tuesday that she considers the Bears’ stadium search a close race between staying in Illinois and moving across the state line. Her assessment came about five weeks after the team’s board approved a proposed development in Hammond, Ind.
“I would give it a 50-50 chance to have the Bears stay in Illinois,” Rezin said during a legislative update.
The Bears have not selected a specific Hammond site or finalized a relocation. Their renewed interest in Indiana followed another legislative session that ended without an agreement addressing the tax and infrastructure issues tied to a new stadium in Illinois.
Rezin, the Illinois Senate’s deputy minority leader, said lawmakers are still working toward a solution that could make an in-state project viable.
