Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester) said this week that lawmakers in Springfield are focusing on affordability during the Illinois General Assembly's spring session for 2026.

While that likely sounds good to voters, it is not great news for the Chicago Bears. But Welch emphasized that the Illinois General Assembly is accountable to voters, not NFL football teams.

"I don't know anyone that has knocked on a door and (had) someone say anything about the Chicago Bears," Welch said Tuesday, "and we have to stay focused on the things that people care about right now."

During an event Tuesday at the City Club of Chicago, Speaker Welch said it will be hard to meet the Bears' requests when voters are struggling to make ends meet. He also largely dismissed the Bears' threats to move to Northwest Indiana.

In an open letter in December, with the Bears' potential deal with Arlington Heights is still in limbo, Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren said that the team is expanding their search and evaluating opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.

Warren said the Bears are not asking for state taxpayer dollars, but are still seeking a commitment to local infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and site improvements, and reasonable property tax certainty. Despite seeking alternative locations for the new stadium, Warren said the team's commitment to Chicago will not change.

Back in September, the Bears sent a letter to season ticket holders, saying they hoped to break ground on a new dome stadium in Arlington Heights soon, so they could bid to host a Super Bowl as early as 2031.

The Bears also officially told season ticketholders in that letter that their future seats would not be in the city of Chicago.

The Illinois General Assembly's spring session begins this month.