Indiana Senate committee OKs marijuana billboard advertising ban
A truck outside of the Indiana Statehouse promotes legalized marijuana as a potential revenue source. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Tuesday discussion around a Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV) bill descended into impassioned debate over marijuana advertising, which Republican lawmakers said should be restricted.
In contention was House Bill 1390, authored by Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie. The underlying legislation originally just dealt with BMV agency matters, like insurance verification, specialty license plates and registration stickers.
But among multiple changes adopted by the Senate transportation committee on Tuesday — including a significant amendment addressing 'predatory' towing — was a ban on 'outdoor' marijuana advertising, notably on highway billboards.
Specifically, the amended bill language seeks to prohibit outdoor advertisements for products containing marijuana or a variety of other controlled substances, including heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Pressel — whose district extends to Indiana's northern border — described 'billboards all over the place that say, 'Come to my store and buy this,'' referencing dispensaries in Michigan, where recreational marijuana is legal.
'And we have trucks, mobile billboards, that drive around and sit in front of our parks. That's unacceptable, and it sends a mixed message to the consumer that this product is legal in Indiana, which it is not,' Pressel said, who unsuccessfully attempted to add the provision to a separate House bill earlier in the session.
'I think that's an unfair message,' he continued, 'and I believe that we should get in front of this to say that if it's an illegal substance, listed on our illegal substance list in the state of Indiana, you should not be able to advertise for that.'
Multiple advertisers pushed back.
Ron Breymier, executive director of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Indiana, cited First Amendment issues. He argued that policymakers can dictate the size and placement of billboards, but 'not the actual advertisement itself.'
Phones and internet searches, Breymier said, are a 'greater threat' than billboards.
Rather than a ban, he recommended a requirement for advertisers to include disclaimers on the billboards 'so citizens know that it's not legal to possess or consume' marijuana or other substances in Indiana.
Jason Graham, vice president of Lamar Advertising, the state's largest billboard operator, wasn't opposed to regulation, but took issue with a ban 'that's directly targeted towards just one media.'
'If we feel this strongly … I don't think it should be just billboards,' he said.
Pressel and other lawmakers said they'd be open to expanding the prohibition to other forms of advertising, too.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CNN Correspondent Detained By LAPD, Camera Crew Arrested
CNN National Correspondent Jason Carroll, who has been reporting on the unrest in Los Angeles for the past few days, found himself a part of the story tonight when he was detained and briefly questioned by Police in Los Angeles. During a live shot, Carroll is heard telling police his name and then seen being walked away with his hands behind his back. More from Deadline Jon Stewart Weighs In On L.A. Protests, Says Trump Is Escalating To Distract From Elon Musk's Epstein Accusation: "Petty And Petulant Man-Babies" Trump Sending Marines To L.A. To Respond To ICE Protests; POTUS Also Plans To Deploy Additional 2,000 Guard Troops, Gavin Newsom Says - Update BET Awards Set To Go On Amid LA Protests Against Immigration Raids A police officer is then heard saying, 'We're letting you go. You can't come back. If you come back, you will be arrested.' Carroll is heard to say, 'Ok.' You can see the scene below. CNN later reported that, while Carroll was released, two members of his camera crew were arrested. Carroll described the scene to Laura Coates back in the studio: 'I was walking over to the officer, tried to explain who I was, who I was with. He said, I'd like you to turn around. I turned around, I put my hands behind my back. They did not put me in zip ties, but they did grab both my hands as I was escorted over to the side, they said, you are being detained.' Carroll is not the first member of the press to get caught between police and protesters. On Sunday, Lauren Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for Australia's 9News, appeared to be shot by a rubber bullet while reporting on the immigration protests. Nick Stern, a British news photographer, reportedly needed emergency surgery over the weekend after sustaining a leg wound during the clashes. A coalition of 27 press and civil liberties advocacy groups wrote to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem today 'to express alarm that federal officers may have violated the First Amendment rights of journalists covering recent protests and unrest related to immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area.' The coalition, led by the Los Angeles Press Club, First Amendment Coalition and Freedom of the Press Foundation, further wrote that 'The press plays an essential role in our democracy as the public's eyes and ears. The timely reporting of breaking news is necessary to provide the public with complete information, especially about controversial events. 'A number of reports suggest that federal officers have indiscriminately used force or deployed munitions such as tear gas or pepper balls that caused significant injuries to journalists. In some cases, federal officers appear to have deliberately targeted journalists who were doing nothing more than their job covering the news.' The LA Press Club referred to at least 24 'documented' instances of journalists being targeted by law enforcement while covering the protests in Los Angeles between June 6-8, and multiple media workers report having been shot by police with less-than-lethal munitions. Those journalists included Southern California News Group's Ryanne Mena, freelance journalists Anthony Cabassa and Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, The Southlander's Ben Camacho, British photojournalist Nick Stern, and LA Taco's Lexis Olivier-Ray. City News Service contributed to this report. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA mayor says immigration raids caused ‘disorder'
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday that immigration raids in her city resulted in 'disorder' the prior night. 'Well, I just have to say that if you dial back time and go to Friday, if immigration raids had not happened here, we would not have the disorder that went on last night,' Bass said on CNN's 'The Situation Room.' 'I will tell you that it is peaceful now, but we do not know where and when the next raids will be,' she added. Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area on Saturday amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said previously the action was due to 'violent mobs' recently attacking 'Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations.' 'In the wake of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens,' Leavitt said. U.S. Northern Command announced on Monday that the U.S. military was set to temporarily move around 700 Marines to Los Angeles, further raising military presence in the city. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Vice President Vance sparred on social media on Monday over the situation in the Los Angeles area. The back-and-forth between the governor and the vice president started with Newsom responding to comments from President Trump, who said he would support arresting the Golden State governor. 'The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican, this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,' Newsom said Monday afternoon on the social platform X. Vance responded to Newsom on X nearly two hours later, telling the governor to 'Do your job.' The Hill has reached out to ICE and the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte rally calls response to anti-ICE protests in LA ‘state-sanctioned violence'
East Charlotte resident Vincent Kolb's grandmother crossed the border without documentation near El Paso, Texas more than 100 years ago. Her dream was simple: a better life for her children. 'That's the real immigrant story of America — not the one that is being purposed and propagandized by the current administration,' Kolb said. He joined around 40 people outside of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center Monday afternoon to rally against ICE raids across the country and President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. The Charlotte group held signs reading 'Free David Now' and chanted in-between speeches from organizers. The Trump administration made a number of immigration arrests across Southern California Friday, prompting days of protests, according to the Los Angeles Times. Despite objections from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, Trump activated around 2,000 National Guard troops in response to violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday the state would file a lawsuit against the administration's deployment. 'Today, we are here to show that this is not going to fly in this country,' Jacob Plitman, lead organizer with SEIU 32BJ, said at the rally. 'It's not going to fly in the City of Charlotte, and we demand that they stop the raids.' Organizers also called for the release of David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU United Service Workers West, who was arrested Friday during the L.A. protests for allegedly interfering with law enforcement activity. Plitman said Huerta was exercising his First Amendment rights when he was detained. Huerta made his first appearance in court Monday and was released on a $50,000 bond, the Los Angeles Times reported. 'The arrest of David Huerta is not only an attack on our community — it is an attack on our democracy. It is an attack on every worker in this country,' Stefanía Arteaga, co-executive director of the Carolina Migrant Network said during the rally. Additional speakers from Southeast Asian Coalition and Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council expressed concern about how the federal government is engaging with anti-ICE protesters. Arteaga called it 'state-sanctioned violence.' The economy of the United States does not function without immigrants, Plitman said, noting that Charlotte grocery stores, airport operations and cleaning services all rely on immigrant labor. 'You can't walk down the streets of Charlotte and not point to something where an immigrant, whether documented or not, had an impact,' said Sebastian Feculak, first vice president of the CLC. Charlotte's growth, Plitman said, is thanks to immigrant labor. According to the NC Department of Commerce, 29% of construction workers and around 20% of agricultural workers are foreign-born. He called on local elected officials to better support immigrants and on community members to peacefully demonstrate. The administration can tell the difference between a city 'that's going to let this happen' and a 'strong, organized city that can demonstrate solidarity,' Plitman added. 'I think the more solidarity that we can demonstrate, the more likely we are to protect ourselves,' he said.
