Illinois quick hits: Indiana House approves Bears stadium bill; Business, labor groups file petition to stop natural gas phaseout; Chicago woman gets 2 years for PPP fraud

Illinois quick hits: Indiana House approves Bears stadium bill; Business, labor groups file petition to stop natural gas phaseout; Chicago woman gets 2 years for PPP fraud

February 24, 2026/
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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Indiana House approves Bears stadium bill

The Indiana House of Representatives passed legislation to establish a Northwest Indiana stadium authority for the Chicago Bears. Indiana Senate Bill 27 was approved by a vote of 95 to 4 on Tuesday. The measure calls for food and beverage taxes in Lake and Porter counties and a hotel tax in Lake County. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Tuesday he thinks his state will see progress with a Bears pilot bill.

Business, labor groups file petition to stop natural gas phaseout

More than 15 business, manufacturing and labor groups are asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to stop the state’s planned phaseout of natural gas. The coalition filed a petition with the ICC on Tuesday after a study by three state agencies found that Illinois could have electricity shortages as soon as 2029. The groups say the state’s energy imbalance will only worsen if baseload generation sources are retired as currently mandated by state law.

Chicago woman gets 2 years for PPP fraud

A Chicago woman has been sentenced to 24 months of second-chance probation and ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution for fraudulently applying for a loan and loan forgiveness through the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rachel Jordan, 34, was sentenced after pleading guilty to a Class 2 felony charge of loan fraud. If Jordan does not pay the full restitution by the end of her probation, she could face jail time.

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