On April 21, 2022, supreme court votes out (6-3) the permission to place digitalized billboards in Austin TX, as it doesn’t violate the 1st amendment. Austin officials argued that many advertising billboards which are placed away from businesses are eyesores and create public safety hazards for drivers in the city.
Reagan National Advertising and Lamar Advertising Company sued Travis County District Court after attempting to get permission to make some of its billboards digital in 2017 In 2019, Judge Robert Pitman sided with the city, saying that the on-/off premises distinction did not depend on the content of the sign.
“American jurisdictions have regulated outdoor advertisements for well over a century,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote. “On-/off-premises distinctions, like the one at issue here, proliferated following the enactment of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965.”
“This is a big win for Scenic America, Scenic Texas, and all of our allies and a victory for common sense,” said Scenic America President Mark Falzone. “The Supreme Court’s ruling puts a stop to this latest attempt by the outdoor advertising industry to chip away at the sacred legacy of the Highway Beautification Act, and it affirms a city’s right to have a say on what its streetscapes look like.”
More information here about Austin Supreme Court Board Ban.
