The Chicago Bears’ decision to move forward with stadium development in Hammond, Indiana is an embarrassing failure for Illinois.
As a lifelong Bears fan, I wanted to see the team remain here. The Bears have been part of Illinois for more than a century and are one of the most recognizable franchises in professional sports. Losing them is a major blow to our state.
What makes this even more frustrating is that Governor Pritzker and the Democrat supermajority had years to address this issue. They control every lever of state government and had every opportunity to keep the Bears in Illinois. Instead, after years of negotiations and political gamesmanship, they failed.
When the Bears decide that a former industrial swampland in Hammond is a better place to invest than Illinois, it says everything you need to know about the tax climate and economic direction of our state.
This outcome should not surprise anyone. Governor Pritzker has spent years focused on building his national political profile while Illinois continues to lose businesses, jobs, and opportunities. Illinois deserves leaders focused on fixing problems at home, not chasing ambitions elsewhere.
