LANSING- State Senator Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) said today that he is pleased that Michigan is closer to banning explicit billboards. The State Senate today passed his bill, Senate Bill 266, which would only allow billboards that advertise a sexually-oriented business to list the name and type of business, the location, and the hours of operation.

“Virtually no one likes to see billboards promoting topless bars and other sexually-oriented businesses, especially when you have family members and young children in the car,” said Sen. Hunter. “These are not the kind of images we want to see on our way to work, school, or to the store, and they are certainly images that I do not want my young son, or any Michigan children, to see.”

Senator Hunter has worked with Mrs. Mary Little, a constituent from his district and the President of Evergreen-Lahser/7-8 Mile Road Community Council, regarding the community’s concerns with this type of advertisement.

"This measure represents a bipartisan effort to prohibit the display of inappropriate or offensive content on billboards in our state," said Senator Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac), chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation which considered SB 266.

First introduced in February, Senate Bill 266 was amended to address the possibility of a constitutional challenge. The bill now complies with the federal Lanham Act, and Michigan’s version of that act, and would only allow trademarked images to appear on posters. The Lanham Act, however, does not allow certain images, including those that are considered immoral, to be trademarked.

“Senate approval of my bill means that we are closer to cleaning up our neighborhoods and communities and making them more family-friendly,” said Senator Hunter.

Senate Bill 266 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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Sen. Hunter represents the 5th district, which is comprised of northwest Detroit, Dearborn and Inkster. He serves as Minority Vice Chair of the Banking & Financial Institutions and the Homeland Security & Emerging Technologies Committees. He is also a member of the Commerce & Tourism and the Economic Development & Regulatory Reform Committees.