{ "banners": { "tv" : [ {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/2-28-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1740718800000", "endingDate" : "1740891540000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-2-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1740891600000", "endingDate" : "1741237140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-6-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741237200000", "endingDate" : "1741409940000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-8-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741410000000", "endingDate" : "1741496340000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-9-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741496400000", "endingDate" : "1741751940000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-15-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741752000000", "endingDate" : "1742011140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYuMn%2bAFYFwp%2bq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-15-25-wtiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1742011200000", "endingDate" : "1742097540000"} ], "radio" : [ {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flgkr2wNtsqwhq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-19-24-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734584400000", "endingDate" : "1734757140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flgkr2wNtsqwhq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-21-24-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734757200000", "endingDate" : "1734843540000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flgkr2wNtsqwhq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-19-24-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734843600000", "endingDate" : "1735448340000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flgkr2wNtsqwhq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-29-24-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735448400000", "endingDate" : "1735534740000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDBNR&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flgkr2wNtsqwhq1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-30-24-wfiu-bnr-new.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735534800000", "endingDate" : "1735621140000"} , {"url" : "https://give.myiu.org/iu-bloomington/I320003967.html", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-31-24-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735621200000", "endingDate" : "1735707540000"} , {"url" : "https://give.myiu.org/iu-bloomington/I320003967.html", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/1-1-25-wfiu-bnr.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735707600000", "endingDate" : "1735793940000"} ] }}

{ "lightboxes": { "tv" : [ {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/2-28-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1740718800000", "endingDate" : "1740891540000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-2-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1740891600000", "endingDate" : "1741237140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-6-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741237200000", "endingDate" : "1741409940000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-8-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741410000000", "endingDate" : "1741496340000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-9-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741496400000", "endingDate" : "1741751940000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-12-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1741752000000", "endingDate" : "1742011140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WTIUMCLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=2T6mTyo6yYtDgsQprWuZNm3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/3-15-25-wtiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1742011200000", "endingDate" : "1742097540000"} ], "radio" : [ {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flizvLEFSbjC6m3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-19-24-wfiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734584400000", "endingDate" : "1734757140000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flizvLEFSbjC6m3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-21-24-wfiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734757200000", "endingDate" : "1734843540000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flizvLEFSbjC6m3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-19-24-wfiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1734843600000", "endingDate" : "1735448340000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flizvLEFSbjC6m3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-29-24-wfiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735448400000", "endingDate" : "1735534740000"} , {"url" : "https://indianapublicmedia.secureallegiance.com/wtiu/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=WFIUFDLB&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=tAXekcDG%2flizvLEFSbjC6m3L5BYddGq6PVAl6UEf65g%3d", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-30-24-wfiu-lightbox-new.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735534800000", "endingDate" : "1735621140000"} , {"url" : "https://give.myiu.org/iu-bloomington/I320003967.html", "img" : "https://indianapublicmedia.org/images/banner-images/12-31-24-wfiu-lightbox.jpg", "startingDate" : "1735621200000", "endingDate" : "1735707540000"} ] }}

City to ask Indiana Supreme Court to review annexation case

By Joe Hren

Posted March 13, 2025

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson (Joe Hren, WFIU/WTIU News)

The city of Bloomington will ask the Indiana Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling against the city on annexation.

The case is a constitutional challenge over petition waivers signed by property owners. The waivers prohibited them from challenging annexation in exchange for city services, such as water and sewer.

In 2019, the state passed a law invalidating waivers more than 15 years old. The city argued the law is unconstitutional because it retroactively voids legal contracts.

Special Monroe Circuit Court Judge Nathan G. Nikirk ruled against the city in June of last year, stating the constitution protects contracts between private parties, not contracts with local governments. He also said the city waited too long to act on the waivers. 

The Indiana Appeals Court agreed, writing, “Bloomington, as a municipality, lacks enforceable rights under the Federal and Indiana Contract Clauses to challenge the 2019 Act as impairing its contracts with the landowners.”

Adopted Bloomington Annexation Areas — The constitutionality case includes Areas 1C, 2, 3, 4, and 5. (City of Bloomington)

The city announced Thursday it wants the Indiana Supreme Court to provide clarity on the rights of local governments.

“When a city is prevented from expanding its boundaries to align with the reality of its growth, it faces financial strain, infrastructure limitations, and weakened services—all of which impact both city residents and the surrounding county,” mayor Kerry Thomson said in a statement.

Thomson said the city followed the state’s annexation framework, only to have the General Assembly retroactively void agreements. The statement said if the decision stands, it could set a precedent that allows the state to interfere with local governments and contract validity.

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the legislature overstepped its legal bounds in 2017 when it singled out the city of Bloomington and prohibited annexation.

The city of Bloomington is also appealing Nikirk’s ruling in favor of residents who reached a petition threshold to appeal annexation in two other areas.