Former Indiana lawmakers say Bears move to Hoosier state increasingly likely INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two members of Indiana’s best political team on Friday said there is a good chance the Chicago Bears make good on their stated interest in moving to the Hoosier state. The Chicago Bears on T hursday said they have tentatively selected a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond. The site is just over the state line from Illinois and a roughly 20-mile drive from the Bears’ longtime home of Soldier Field in downtown Chicago. The announcement came on the same day the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved a bill to set up a stadium authority in the area. Legislative leaders on Thursday said they believe the bill sets up all the necessary authority the state needs to bring the Bears to Indiana. The Bears’ Hammond announcement is not final. Former state representatives and “All INdiana Politics” contributors Karlee Macer and Matt Bell said Thursday’s announcement was good news for Indiana’s Bears bid. Macer, a Democrat, said, “If you would have asked me just a few days ago, I still would have said, ‘Oh, the likelihood of that is very slim.’ But I’ve got to say, I would say (the chances are) 50/50.” Bell, a Republican, said the Bears’ announcement speaks well to the business environment Republicans have created in Indiana. “Yesterday, watching this announcement was the happiest I’ve seen the Indiana Statehouse since sine die of last year,” he said Friday. “It’s a great day because we can bring a flagship franchise of the NFL to our Hoosier State.” The Bears are one of only two teams that have been part of the NFL since its founding in 1920, the other being the Arizona Cardinals. They have won a total of nine NFL championships, eight of which predate the Super Bowl era. Macer said state leaders will have to work out how to minimize the impact to Indiana taxpayers. Bell said the Bears’ insistence on a mixed-use site means a development in Hammond would have year-round uses that would generate revenue. “All INdiana Politics” will air at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV. ...read more read less