Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/23/2377.asp

5/18/2008

Illinois House to Ban Taxpayer Funded Political Billboards
Illinois House of Representatives votes to strike the name of the governor from official roadway signs.

The Illinois House of Representatives took a swipe at Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Thursday by passing legislation that would ban the practice of using road signs as a form of political advertising. State Representative Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) introduced the measure in response to the state's spending $480,000 to install signs reading "Open Road Tolling. Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor" on the Illinois Tollway.

The legislation, House Bill 4416, simply prohibits the name of any elected official from being "displayed on a billboard on an electronic message board" paid for by the state. It does so by adding roadside billboards to an existing law that bans the use of public service announcements by elected officials.

For the billboard ban to become law, the measure would need to clear the state Senate and be signed by Governor Rod Blagojevich. A copy of the legislation is available in a PDF file at the source link below.

Source: House Bill 4416 (Illinois General Assembly, 5/15/2008)

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