A discussion meant to focus on legislation amending the management of Utah’s scenic byways on Monday instead evolved into a spirited debate about billboards — even though they’re not mentioned in the bill text.
SB 28, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, makes changes to the process by which scenic byways are designated or removed throughout the state. Sen. Harper, who is running for reelection this year, is the longest-serving lawmaker in the Legislature.
The original version of the bill added “one representative from the outdoor advertising industry” to the state’s Scenic Byway Committee and reduced its size.
The Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee on Monday replaced that version of the bill with another. The latest version of SB 28 does not appoint a billboard industry representative to the Scenic Byway Committee or change its number of members.
“[SB 28] does not give more authority to the billboard industry,” Harper said Monday.
The latest version of the legislation would require the Legislature to adopt a concurrent resolution to approve or remove a scenic byway designation, giving lawmakers more control over these roads.
Kate Kopischke, director of Scenic Utah, a nonprofit that works to “protect and enhance scenic beauty, and limit visual pollution,” expressed appreciation for the changes made to SB 28. But she said the bill still has problems.
“This still keeps the billboard industry at the table in a big way,” Kopischke said, referring to outdoor advertising lobbyists active at the Legislature. “Every single time there’s a scenic byway proposal, the billboard industry will be front and center in trying to change that decision or to make sure that it isn’t approved [by the Legislature].”
Ralph Becker, former Utah state representative and former Salt Lake City mayor, said that the new bill wrests control over scenic byways from local governments, where it belongs.
“It would be far preferable if the Scenic Byway Program and the committee that does all this work locally had a stronger voice,” he said. “In other words, the burden of proof [should be] on the Legislature to overturn the work that has been worked on so hard and recognized locally.”
Representatives from the outdoor advertising industry spoke in favor of the revised bill on Monday.
“As this bill has come and evolved, our two main areas of focus [were] having representation to collaborate with Scenic Utah, to collaborate with legislators, to make sure we can work in harmony with them, and secondly, to make sure there was legislative oversight,” said Nathan Young, president of billboard company Yesco Outdoor Media. “Albeit, there is compromise in this bill, and from our perspective, we approve of it.”
Nate Sechrest, a lobbyist for Reagan Outdoor Advertising, said that bringing discussions about scenic byways to the Legislature allows for all voices to be heard, “which is the bedrock of democracy.”
“This [bill] allows the best possible process,” Sechrest continued. “We’re not concerned with the outcome, we’re concerned with the process.”
SB 28 passed out of the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee with a vote of 6-1, with just Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Salt Lake City, opposing. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.
