The South Dakota House of Representatives wants to penalize people who tamper with or remove highway signs. Republican State Representative Tona Rozum says the purpose of Senate Bill 103 helps with more than just safety.
"It’s intended to reduce tax payer costs in maintaining and replacing highway signs, markers, guide boards, traffic control devices, warning devices, interstate highways gates, railroad signs and signals, and barriers and signs erected in highway maintenance for construction activities on the state highways," Rozum says.
Representative Rozum says a person could be fined up to $2,000 if they take or vandalize one of these signs or markers. The funds received by the civil penalty would then go into a fund pool to replace signs and markers throughout the state. Representative Rozum says this is how Senate Bill 103 could save tax payers money. The bill passed the South Dakota House of Representatives 64-4 and it goes next to Governor Daugaards desk for a signature.
