KOTA Territory NewsDigital billboards could soon light up all around KOTA Territory

Digital billboards could soon light up all around KOTA Territory

When Rapid City voters passed an initiative to limit digital billboards, it may have been for nothing.

A bill in the legislature to clean up the language in an existing state law passed a house committee today essentially voiding the public vote.

Several members of the Mount Rushmore Road group, which campaigned for the initiated measure, testified about how the language in the bill directly takes away local control.

But proponent, Daktronics founder Al Kirkenbach, argued the bill is necessary because it helps the state as a whole.

"There's three items, one is sales tax, revenue which we like in South Dakota to support state government. Helping small businesses that sell to the traveling public, help them be more viable and creating jobs," says Al Kirkenbach, founder of Daktronics.

Opponents said this bill is not a fight against the billboard companies.

Rather a fight to keep local control, because more digital billboards will cripple tourism.

"When you hear the hey hey, this is a sales tax, small business, tourism, good for economic development as legislators I would encourage everyone to look over here and ask - what's the reality? The reality is a lot of people in Rapid City will tell you billboards don't help tourism," says Steve Zellman, of Rapid City.

Before voting nine to four in favor, Representative Spencer Hawley of Brookings, suggested Rapid City look to zoning changes.

Brookings recently turned to zoning as a way to regulate digital billboards.