Pressure on Illinois leaders to take action on the Bears' wish list for a new stadium in Arlington Heights went up Tuesday, as the Indiana House voted 95-4 in favor of a measure clearing the way for the Hoosier State to build the team a new stadium.
The proposal would set up a stadium authority that could build a new domed stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond, and then rent it to the Bears with an option to buy.
One of those "aye" votes came from Zionsville Republican and retired Colts punter Hunter Smith, who says his first game as a pro was a preseason contest against the Bears ... at Soldier Field.
"I have been given nothing but the sweetest memories of the Chicago Bears," said Rep. Smith to laughter from his colleagues recalling the Colts' victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI (41) in 2007. "If you can't beat 'em, join em."
The stadium authority bill, known as SB27, now goes back to the Indiana Senate because it was amended in the House, and if it passes there will proceed to the desk of Indiana's Republican governor Mike Braun, who has said he will sign it.
But in Illinois, Democratic Gov. J.B. Priztker told reporters during an appearance at Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S. Pulaski Rd., that he's not sure the Indiana plan -- and its potential pricetag -- will be a touchdown for Hoosier taxpayers.
"Do they want to raise their taxes to pay for a stadium in Indiana for the Chicago Bears?" Gov. Pritzker asked rhetorically. "We'll see."
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) told colleagues he did not believe Hoosier taxpayers would be on the hook to pay off any debt incurred in the building of a stadium. He also praised the Bears front office: "I just cannot speak highly enough of them and their team."
The vote adds pressure to the effort by state lawmakers in Springfield to pass a measure giving the Bears the ability to negotiate long-term property tax rates for the property it owns in Arlington Heights. The team has said it needs the so-called "PILOT" bill in order to proceed with a stadium on the old Arlington Park site.
The measure is set for a hearing in a state House committee on Thursday.
The Indiana Legislature is set to adjourn on Friday.