Hunter
02/11/26
A proposal was introduced in the Iowa Senate Tuesday to expand economic development funds with the end goal of luring the Chicago Bears franchise to Iowa.
KCRG TV reports Republican Kerry Gruenhagen of Walcott said in a news release announcing the legislation, “The Chicago Bears are looking for a state that will appreciate them and welcome them with open arms, and we are filing a bill today that says Iowa is happy to be that home.”
Other local senators who co-sponsored the bill include Scott Webster of Bettendorf and Dawn Driscoll of Williamsburg.
The Bears have made Soldier Field in Chicago their home since 1971. They have been wooed by Arlington Heights and Gary Indiana, who have promised a new stadium for the franchise. That area has a population nearly 20 times as large as the population in the Quad Cities.