Bloomington's lawsuit is about something bigger

I was in Bloomington last weekend and, while reading the local newspaper, came across the latest frustrating example of the state legislature telling local governments in Indiana what to do.

Yep, here we go again.

Each legislative session finds state lawmakers meddling in the business of cities and towns, sometimes for ideological reasons and other times because of petty politics or the wishes of special interests. In recent years the legislature has blocked local governments from passing regulations on plastic shopping bags as well as other pro-environment measures. It has made it harder for cities to crack down on slumlords and for communities to have early voting sites.

That’s on top of state rules that routinely force communities to beg lawmakers for the ability to make basic fiscal decisions. The legislature should be a partner to local government. Too often, it acts like a domineering boss.

In this latest case, Bloomington is suing the state over a provision in the recently passed state budget that blocks a local annexation effort. Now, I am not in any way taking a position on the annexation battle between Bloomington and the residents who oppose it. Rather, I am arguing (once again) that the legislature should allow local debates to play out locally, or in the courts, rather than through heavy-handed legislation.

Read more: http://www.jconline.com/story/opinion/columnists/matthew-tully/2017/06/02/tully-bloomingtons-lawsuit-something-bigger/102419640/