Opponents of pro-billboard legislation are concerned about connections between the billboard industry and the legislator who introduced the bill.

John Hardee, an executive with billboard company Lamar Advertising, is married to the daughter of Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Leatherman introduced a bill that would help protect billboard companies and other businesses from local zoning laws that force them to relocate or take down signs.

That bill, which requires local governments to pay property owners if zoning laws force them to close, is being considered by Leatherman's finance committee.

"The fact that the author of the bill is the father-in-law of a billboard industry executive is certainly troubling to me, and I think would be troubling to a lot of people," said Van Kornegay, a member of Scenic South Carolina, a group that opposes billboards.

Leatherman said the bill does not specifically relate to billboards and his relationship to Hardee "had nothing to do with it."

Leatherman said his interest is in providing fair compensation to property owners.

Hardee, who also serves as the state highway commissioner for the 2nd Congressional District, also said his relationship to Leatherman was unrelated. The Highway Commission makes decisions about what state highway projects receive funding.

"This bill is about being compensated if the government takes your property," he said. "It is not about billboards."

Sen. Wes Hayes, R-York, chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, declined to comment specifically on whether Leatherman has a conflict. He did give examples of similar cases that indicated his actions were permissible because it would affect others besides Hardee.

"You are free to introduce bills, vote and take actions you feel appropriate that may benefit a group you are related to as long as the group is a large or statewide group," he said.