Stop the Latest Billboard Bill

The North Carolina House of Representatives will be voting next week -- maybe on Monday but probably Tuesday or Wednesday -- on the latest give-away to the billboard industry. In particular, it would allow up to 10 digital billboards per mile, as well as allow more cutting of trees around billboards and in medians, make NC taxpayers pay substantially more to billboard companies for removals and relocations of billboards, and take authority away from local governments to control the relocation and regulation of billboards, including vegetation removal.

Three things to do:

• Call your legislators (even though Durham reps are probably not going to vote for it they can lobby other Ds who are less committed).

• Call Speaker Moore's office. 919-733-3451.

• Call the Governor's office (919-814-2000) and ask them to take a stand against the billboard bill. Although the Governor and his staff are unlikely to take any position publicly before the bill passes (and it may not be helpful if he did) - they can speak privately with Ds and urge them to oppose the bill. Given that there are a number of D sponsors on this bill - it's not a purely partisan issue. There are Rs for and against and Ds for and against. We really need all the Ds to be against for it to have any chance of being stopped.

The News and Observer had an excellent editorial, so letters to the editor thanking them would be appropriate:
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article151660512.html