Local DFL and Republican leaders are united in one thing: Leave yard signs alone.
Hubbard County Republican chair David De La Hunt said the local GOP “discourages any activity that infringes on the First Amendment rights of citizens, which includes the right to display candidate signs.”
Carolyn Spangler, Hubbard County DFL chair, concurred, saying, “As citizens of the USA, we are privileged to live in a society where our voices can be heard without fear of reprisal. So, when folks of political parties proudly put out their candidates’ political lawn signs they are
being heard, they are expressing their freedom of speech and they are showing their support for that candidate. These signs are also personal property and are placed on personal property. An
abundance of political lawn signs in our area have been stolen this summer. I wonder if the persons who are stealing the signs know that they are committing a crime, because it is illegal. Don’t we all know that? It’s not smart, and it’s taking away a freedom of everyone in our community.”
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Those signs and flags can be expensive: A Trump-Pence yard sign costs $20 and Trump flags go for $25.
It can cost $20 or $30 or more to buy a Biden-Harris yard sign or Black Lives Matter sign online and have it shipped.
In Minnesota, the penalty for stealing or destroying yard signs and campaign flags depends on their value. If it’s $500 or less, the maximum penalty under Minnesota law is 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
If someone steals a lot of signs over several months, he or she can be prosecuted for the lump sum value, which could raise the offense from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor or even a felony.
