An amendment to Senate Bill 1370, which was introduced by Sen. Tupac Hunter (D-Inkster) last month, was approved by the Senate 30-7, and has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The amended bill would prohibit sexually oriented businesses from displaying any signs and billboards with the exception of one identification sign and one sign that would provide notice that minors are not allowed on the premises, and establishes a $5,000 cap on the annual fines and fees assessed against any one billboard.
The bill would also prohibits signs or sign structures for "those that violate community standards of decency."
“For several months I have been concerned with the explicit billboards sprinkled along Eight Mile Road promoting topless bars and other sexually oriented businesses,” Hunter said. “These are not the kind of images any child should view. By passing this amendment, we can be sure our neighborhoods and communities are clean of any adult-themed material and prevent young, impressionable children from viewing these signs.”
Hunter also said he believes that the efforts to curb excessive signage at adult-oriented businesses is constitutional and would help improve the image of the state.
“Several other states including New Jersey and Missouri have either proposed or passed similar legislation to ban sexually oriented billboards,” he said. “It’s time Michigan pass this legislation to prove they are a family-friendly state.”
If the bill is passed by the House, it will then go to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.
