Bloomington sues Indiana over state ban on annexing property
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) – An Indiana city has filed a lawsuit claiming state legislation that blocked its attempt to annex 9,500 acres of property is unconstitutional.
The (Bloomington) Herald Times reports the city of Bloomington filed a lawsuit Wednesday. The move comes after the Indiana House approved a budget bill last month including an amendment that blocked its annexation efforts and barred the city from revisiting the plan for five years.
The suit says the bill violated the state constitution’s prohibition on “special legislation.”
The proposed annexation would’ve added about 15,000 people to Bloomington’s current 84,000 population.
This is the second consecutive year Republican lawmakers weighed in on matters affecting the liberal-leaning city.
Last year, the Legislature banned Indiana cities from prohibiting the use of plastic shopping bags after Bloomington considered the issue.