Almost as long as the Chicago Bears owners have been angling for a new stadium somewhere in the Chicago area, people have been wondering when Indiana would get involved, given that 1) every place large and small in Illinois has already been approached and 2) Indiana, amirite? And this week, the Indiana state legislature finally took the bait … sort of:
The state legislature is considering House Bill 1292 which would establish a Northwest Indiana professional sports development commission, which would study plans to attract one or more professional sports franchises…
The commission would spend money from the professional sports development fund, which would be funded through general assembly appropriations, grants, gifts and donations.
The bill, which has already passed its first state house committee, wouldn’t actually allocate any money to that sports development fund, though. So really this is more about opening a state bank account, writing “FOR STADIUMZ” on it, and then going oh please oh please.
Bill sponsor Rep. Earl Harris Jr. of East Chicago — a former Fox Sports Midwest producer who took over his house seat from his mom, who took it over when his dad died — seemed to admit as much, saying he hoped the bill would “cause attention,” and here we are, giving him that attention. Harris also acknowledged he hasn’t talked to anyone in the Bears organization yet, you know what, let’s shut this down right now, go read something else that’s actually news, there must be some out there somewhere.
“I spent your Indiana tax dollars to help a Chicago football team,” is just a terrible campaign message. But, as an Illinois tax payer, I fully support this plan.
Bengals trying to use this law as leverage to get money from Ohio in 3…2…1…
Interesting trivia about East Chicago: Kenny Lofton and Tim Stoddard both went to Washington High School in East Chicago. Those are the only two people to play in both a World Series and NCAA basketball Final Four.
Another bad idea from the Indiana Legislature.
As the founder and 2nd assistant deputy commissioner of the Midwest Regional Indoor Football League (iii), I welcome this development.
Indiana is in so deep with this kind of funding and is such a one party state I doubt people will care.
Really the best case scenario for Illinois.
NW Indiana? been there, yikes! If they move to Indiana will they become the Chicago Reds?