FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said the state is making progress in its effort to bring the Chicago Bears to Hammond, but acknowledged the deal is not finalized and that at least a couple of months of work remain.
Braun sat down with 21Alive Senior Reporter Tom Powell to discuss several issues, including the Bears negotiations, a casino bill on his desk, and U.S. strikes on Iran.
Bears relocation talks
Braun said the Bears approached Indiana after spending two and a half years receiving what he described as “the cold shoulder” from Illinois leadership.
“The Bears came to us because for two and a half years they were getting the cold shoulder from the governor and the mayor and the legislature,” Braun said. “It was just the assumption that they wouldn’t need to do anything to keep them there. Then, they got a peek at how we move at the speed of business, not government.”
When asked whether he would bet on the Bears coming to Indiana, Braun said, “If I were a betting man, I would say there’s a better chance of that happening than not. But, we got at least a couple months to get to that point.”
The deal is not certain. Illinois leaders continue to push the Bears to build in Arlington Heights, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said this week he has not given up on keeping the team on the city’s lakefront. A former Illinois governor also launched a petition website called “Bear Down Illinois.”
Braun said if the Bears were to move to Indiana, the team’s name would not change. “We wouldn’t be foolish enough for that name to change,” he said.
Casino referendum bill
Braun confirmed he would have vetoed the casino bill if it did not allow voters in Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties to decide in a November referendum whether to allow a casino in northeast Indiana. His office confirms he will sign the bill on Wednesday. Only counties where voters approve the measure would be eligible to compete for a casino license.
Braun said a last-minute change to the bill — restoring a local voter approval requirement — was the reason he agreed to sign it rather than veto it.
“They wanted to take it out to where it could have just been thrust upon this area,” Braun said. “To me, that feature of making sure it didn’t take away local approval for whatever you’re going to end up with was important. So when that was put back in, I was going to go through and we were involved in all of that.”
If voters approve the measure in November, casino companies would have until Dec. 1 to submit proposals. The state would select a winner by next April.
Iran strikes
Braun said President Donald Trump made the “right decision at the right time” in ordering strikes on Iran, but said the president needs to be careful not to draw the U.S. into a long-term conflict.
Braun called Iran the world’s greatest sponsor of terrorism and said it was long overdue for the U.S. to make a “strong statement” against the country.
When asked about the six U.S. troops already killed and polling showing most Americans do not support the strikes, Braun said he shares those concerns.
“I’m in that crowd that wants a strong defense, but we were engaged in too many escapades over the years in both sides of the aisle, getting us involved with them,” Braun said. “Trump’s taken the approach, I think, of using our prowess, our strength, but stipulation, don’t get drug into a long-term engagement.”
Braun expressed hope that the Iranian military will lay down its arms and that the Iranian people will usher in a new government. He also acknowledged that Hoosiers are currently deployed in the region and said he is grateful for and proud of their service.
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