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LA Removes Red-light Cameras

July 28th, 2011 by flanews

The Los Angeles City Council voted last night to get rid of the city’s red-light cameras. Similar efforts are underway in Davie Florida. Yet other Florida cities are adding more cameras over the objections ticketed drivers. As Whitney Ray tells us, the debate surrounding the devices is likely to spill over into Florida’s next legislative session where distain for the devices is growing.

It was a close vote this past May where in the waning days of the legislative session House lawmakers narrowly passed a repeal of red-light cameras.

Cheers and embraces among Cuban-American lawmakers from both parties, for who the cameras evoked big brother memories from their communist homeland.

The bill went to the Senate where Rene Garcia tried to sell the repeal to his fellow GOP lawmakers, but the legislation was dead on arrival.

“I’m still fighting it,” said Garcia.

Session ended in May but the debate rages on. Hundreds of drivers have challenged their tickets in courts; claiming cities have shortened yellow lights to ticket more drivers and people where ticketed unjustly for turning right on red.

Collin Moore received a ticket in the mail last week, but claims he wasn’t driving.

“He drove through and tried to make the yellow and it snapped a ticket,” said Moore.

James Daniels says he and his cousin were in the intersection on yellow, but they still received a 158 dollar fine.

“I don’t have money like this in this time that we are living in, in the recession,” said Daniels.

Still others, like Lanta Gallon, say the cameras make the roads safer.

“Stop at yellow lights. Don’t try to make it,” said Gallon.

In LA the city council voted to remove the devices. They couldn’t convince more than 65-thousand drivers who received red-light tickets to pay the fines and the city had no authority to punish them if they didn’t. At least one city, Davie, Florida, is considering repeal.

A repeal bill has yet to be filed in Tallahassee for next session, but there is plenty of time and growing support among lawmakers. The battle pits less government Republicans against the more established GOP in Tallahassee that voted for the cameras two years ago.

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