U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court, at the end of their annual session, overturned a long-held principle of “deference” in how federal agencies interpret ambiguous laws, instead placing the judiciary in a more determinative role going forward. OAAA Association Counsel Allen Smith wrote about the potential impact on our industry (Billboard Insider).
North Carolina – Billboards
The North Carolina outdoor advertising association had a big industry win in July. The state legislature approved a broad transportation bill that included provisions to revise vegetation rules for roadway signs, permitting tree trimming within a defined view shed. Gov. Roy Cooper had vetoed the bill over this language, which was then over-ridden and approved by the legislature.
Federal – TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) processed over 3 million air travelers on Sunday, July 7, the most since the agency was created in November 2001. The new record of 3.01M broke the previous record of 2.99M set just two weeks prior.
Federal – NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) kicked off a national summer public service initiative focused on driver safety. NHTSA’s Speeding Catches Up with You seeks to reduce speeding on our nation’s roadways. Out of home advertising has been and continues to be an essential partner with NHTSA in their PSA activity.
Politics – Advertising
Highlighting the intensity of this year’s election cycle, a total of $3.01 billion has been spent on political advertising, concentrated mainly in seven so-called battleground states. Pennsylvania, a key state in the presidential race, also has a very close U.S. Senate race and several contested U.S. House races. Of the national total spent on political ads, $507M of that has been in Pennsylvania.