House narrowly adopts conference report on statewide highway criteria after heated debate over billboard provisions

The Utah House on March 2 adopted the conference committee report on Senate Bill 66, a measure about statewide highway criteria that drew sharp debate over an attached billboard amendment. Sponsors argued the changes are necessary for consistent treatment of billboards and the transfer of state roads; opponents said the amendment could strip cities and counties of control over billboard siting.

Representative David Steele’s conference committee report was read into the record and moved for adoption by Representative Derry. Representative Tanner urged rejecting the report, saying the amendment could “give, take away the rights of cities and counties to actually deal effectively with billboard placement,” and called the attachment a special-interest addition that should stand alone if necessary. Representative Dilley, a sponsor of the conference report, said the committee acted on strong local support and presented letters from the League of Cities and Towns and Salt Lake County indicating backing for the measure.

Opponents repeatedly framed the dispute as local-control versus statewide uniformity. Representative Carlson said: “The suggestion that we have to take the bad with the good is simply no way to conduct public policy,” urging members to register full opposition if they object to the billboard language. Representative Becker said some jurisdictions worry that road transfers with billboards would leave local governments without later authority over those signs.

After debate the House adopted the conference committee report in a close division and then proceeded to final passage. The conference report adoption carried by a narrow margin in division vote counts reported on the floor; final passage was recorded in roll call as 43 yes to 30 no. The bill will be returned to the Senate for further action.

The dispute centered on whether the committee’s billboard language improperly changed the bill’s tenor from an intergovernmental road-transfer framework to a vehicle for billboard regulation. Supporters said the language was included deliberately by the Senate and reflects protections for property rights; critics said the change should not be grafted onto an otherwise cooperative transfer bill. The House’s action sends the amended bill back to the Senate.