Committee advances bill allowing paid political signs on public school athletic fields

Senate Bill 4, filed by Senator Eddie Lambert, was advanced by the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs on April 16, 2025. The bill would allow political candidates and campaigns to place paid signs on the premises of public school athletic fields and gymnasiums "subject to school board policy" and payment of a fee.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Eddie Lambert, said the measure responds to a directive that forced removal of longstanding signage in Ascension Parish. "We've had a long practice of posting signs from elected officials at athletic fields," Lambert said, adding that rural school booster clubs rely on that revenue. Lambert told the committee he personally spends "somewhere between $3,000 to $4,000 maybe $5,000 a year just on [signs] supporting athletic programs."

James LeBlanc, identified himself as "the president of the St. Amant High School booster club for the past 18 years," told the committee the loss of sign revenue last year was substantial. "It was a $20,000 hit for St. Amant High School," LeBlanc said, and urged committee support so booster clubs could continue that fundraising practice.

The committee adopted two amendments that narrow the bill's scope and address voting‑place concerns. As amended, the bill allows signs "subject to school board policy" and explicitly states the section "shall not create an exception to RS 18 14 62 relative to prohibited acts during early voting or an election day," a provision the sponsor said preserves existing limits near polling places. Senator Miller and others questioned whether the change could allow local policies that favor incumbents; the sponsor and LeBlanc said local school boards could adopt rules to treat candidates equitably.

Bruce Riley, representing the group Vote, testified in opposition and warned the committee the proposed local discretion could produce many different school‑board policies and invite litigation over First Amendment limits. "If each school board had its own ability to create its own policy, we can imagine how many different policies we're going to end up with," Riley said.

There was no roll‑call vote recorded in the transcript. Committee minutes show the amendments were adopted "with no objection" and the chair noted "a motion by Senator Reese to report as amended." The transcript does not record a recorded roll‑call tally in committee for final passage on the day.

The measure was discussed largely as a revenue and local‑control issue, not as a change to statewide campaign finance reporting; proponents highlighted local school funding needs while opponents flagged constitutional risks and potential litigation.

For now, the bill will proceed per committee action; committee members asked school boards and the secretary of state to help clarify how local policies would operate if the bill becomes law.