New Yakima Signs Call Out Political Campaign Signs
White signs with red ink and large handwritten letters are sitting in the mix of election signs on the corner of Washington and 16th Avenue in Yakima near the airport. They are calling out politicians for digging and posting their election signs, and citing the state laws they have allegedly broken. Have you seen them?
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These signs are begging for your attention, but some people are finding them to be more of a distraction. I’ve often wondered how signs (of any type) aren’t held to a higher standard and regulation. Not to mention that when there are so many signs all in one spot, any particular sign’s message just gets lost in the noise of all of them. So what good does it do?
My wife spotted two signs as we were driving down Washington Ave. and turning on 16th Ave. It (being so different) caught our eye, and we had to do a 2nd pass by so she could get some photos so we could read what they said, and they said a lot.
The Yakima Sign Says Politicians Are Committing Crimes
One of the signs cites Washington State laws:
- RCW 19.122 (the dig law)
- RCW 47.36.180 (campaign signs on public property)
- RCW 14.08.030 (illegal on airport perimeter)
- RCW 9a.52.070 (illegal encroachment and trespass)
“THESE POLITICIANS ARE COMMITTING SEVERAL CRIMES BY PUTTING SIGNS HERE. RCW 19.122 = DIG LAW, YOU ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO CALL 811. YOU CANNOT DIG 8 FEET FROM A UTILITY POLE”
As my wife was reading me the laws (cited in the signs and linked up above for you), I asked if sticking a metal post in the ground (for the smaller signs) is the same as digging. From what I’ve read, if you’re breaking ground, that’s considered digging. And the bigger signs, with the wooden post, definitely needed more ‘digging’.
I also brought up whether that area was technically Airport property or the city's “right-of-way”. If it were the airport’s property, someone from the airport would have had to put the signs up (possible, but doubtful); otherwise, it would be trespassing, or if it were the city’s right-of-way, that’d be public property and fall under RCW 47.36.180.
Distracted Driving, or Political Annoyance
I think whomever made the signs made some good points, however, one could argue that they broke the same laws! Then again, their signs do fall under our protected right to free speech. Did they call 8-1-1 before they posted their signs? Maybe?
Shouldn’t our politicians ‘Lead by example’?
What Are Your Thoughts?
What are your thoughts? Agree, disagree, or is there another legal loophole that is being missed? Tap the App and let us know. One thing I think we can all agree on, political signs take away from the potential beauty of Washington.