Political signs in mobile home parks approved

CARSON CITY - A bill to let residents of mobile home parks post political signs around their homes was approved Friday by a Senate panel - revised to help people whose parks are now owned by the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Commerce and Labor Chairman Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said AB39 dealt with a basic First Amendment issue, adding that the committee heard stories about landlords who blocked tenants from posting signs for political candidates.

But John Yesek of NDOT said his agency had a problem with the bill: The agency is the landlord at two mobile parks in Carson City, and there's an existing state law against posting political signs on state property.

"I have to ask: Why do you own a mobile home park?" asked Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas.

Yesek said NDOT had to buy the parks because of planned construction that willl hurt the owners' property values. There are about 200 homes in those parks, he said.

The compromise was to exempt the mobile home parks from the proposed law, allowing the residents to post signs.

But Yesek added that if a political sign posted at any of those homes is visible from the freeway, that could violate the National Highway Beautification Act.

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