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Senate amends campaign‑sign law, shortens post‑election removal window to five days
Summary
Senators approved first substitute Senate Bill 75 with an amendment that makes unauthorized removal of campaign signs a class C misdemeanor and reduces the period a defeated candidate’s signs must remain from 14 to five days after the election.
Salt Lake City — The Utah Senate amended and advanced first substitute Senate Bill 75 on Feb. 10, 1995, a measure that targets unauthorized removal of campaign signs and sets a removal window after an election.
Sponsor Senator Richards told the Senate the bill would prohibit removing a campaign sign from property you do not own without permission and would make violating that rule a class C misdemeanor. He said the bill had been refined to remove problematic state‑property language and to secure approval from the Utah Department of Transportation on signage on state property.
"A person may not remove campaign signs for property they do not own unless permission has been received from either the candidate or the person on whose property the sign is displayed," Senator Richards said, explaining the intent to protect campaign property and reduce sign theft.
A contentious provision initially required that signs belonging to a defeated candidate remain in place for 14 days after the election. Several senators objected to that 14‑day period as excessive. Senator Black called the waiting period "bothersome" and urged a shorter timeframe; Senator Marine and others supported shortening the period. The Senate adopted a friendly amendment that changed the waiting period from 14 days to five days.
The first substitute SB75, as amended on the floor, recorded 25 ayes, 3 nays and 1 absent on the second reading and was ordered read for the third time.
