Welcome to the Future!
Newly filed lawsuit: Tony Buzbee vs. Sylvester Turner and Clear Channel Outdoor
Why? billboards concerning AlertHouston feature Mayor Turner
Why the campaign contribution argument? According to the attorney, Clear Channel needs the mayor’s help to amend a billboard ordinance. That led to a conspiracy for billboards across the city with Turner’s picture.
Want to read more? The suit was filed April 17 in Harris County District Court, case No. 2019-27094.
Where: Florida
What’s special about FL cities’ short term rental ordinances? local fines on unlicensed short term rentals are some of the highest in the nation.
How bad has it gotten? Miami Beach paid for a floating billboard accusing short term rental platforms of being cozy with state law makers Miami Herald
What have conservatives done to actively support short term rental platforms?
Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Question: If a city builds a bridge that blocks the view of a billboard, is that a taking of private property that merits compensation?
The Court: No compensation for a bridge that blocks a billboard
The billboard company argument: the business has been deprived of “all economically beneficial use”
Why is this not a compensable taking? the right to visibility of private property from a public road “is not a cognizable right giving rise to a protected…
City: Carlsbad, NM
The 2018 billboard ordinance requires:
Carlsbad Current Argus | City council approves new sign ordinance
Utah’s HB 361 (2018) requires:
Opponents say:
Kenosha, Wisconsin is re-working its billboard ordinance.
Kenosha is ooking to balance the interests of business v. public good v. property rights.
In this balancing act, Kenosha is looking at:
The City: Sandy Springs, GA
How does this work in Georgia, where there is a separate eminent domain for the billboard? Georgia’s laws allow for billboard relocatation somewhere within 250 feet in lieu of an eminent domain reimbursement, if the city has a billboard relocation ordinance.
What has the city offered? A city ordinance that allows for billboard relocation if:
The Texas Supreme Court this week refused to take an appeal on the City of Austin billboard fee.
Lawyers, courts- their words are like teachers in a Peanuts cartoon. What does this mean?
Which Court of Appeals? 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin
What did the Court do with the Texas Highway Beautification Act? Struck down key portions of the Act, specifically Subchapters B and C
For those who love statutes: Subchapter B REGULATION OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING GENERALLY & Subchapter C LICENSE AND PERMIT FOR OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
Why were these subchapters struck? unconstitutional content based restrictions on free speech
What do private property rights, data security & billboards have in common? A lot when billboards are partnering with telecom to track people’s travel patterns and behaviors through their mobile phones.
Tracking travel patterns and location creates data. Data creation leads to data storage which leads to a trove of data for hackers.
The Center for Digital Democracy says ““It is incredibly creepy, and it’s the most recent intrusion into our privacy.”