Blinded by the light?

Members of the public are contacting Janesville's plan commission about the brightness of an electronic church sign near the Interstate, but federal law states the city cannot regulate the sign. "Specifically, it prevents us from regulating churches in a way that would deter their ability to go forward with their church mission," says Building and Development Services manager Gale Price. Price says city staff members will contact the church to see if it will voluntarily adjust the brightness of the display. Price says preventing a church from having an electronic message center could potentially be a violation of the federal law, making the city and employees who enforce the regulation liable for damages.