From the Absolutely Ridiculous File: The Kentucky Billboard Bill
The General Assembly reconvenes March 26th to discuss bills in progress. One Kentucky Senate bill, SB 155 (the Kentucky Billboard Bill), will allow billboard companies to remove trees that block billboards.
Under SB 155, a permit system would be set up to allow trees in the public right of way to be cut down if they impair billboard visibility from surrounding highways.
In exchange for highway dollars, Kentucky signed a bonus agreement some years ago that directly relates to billboard regulation. In addition to the environmental issues at hand, there seems to be some possibility that other parts of SB 155 would mean that 2.5 million in federal dollars would have to be repaid.
In other words, Kentucky Senate Bill 155 is a real "lose-lose" for almost everyone.
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Michigan, RI and Oregon are pushing back, prohibiting new billboards. Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Vermont have banned them altogether, taking down existing signs, too.