Warning: Constant ABSPATH already defined in /home/flanews/public_html/wp-config.php on line 34
Capitol News Service » Blog Archive » Red Light Repeal on Front Burner

Welcome to

Capitol News Service

Florida's Best Political Coverage on Television

 


 


 


Recent Posts

RSS Quote of the Day

  • Charles Baudelaire
    "Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of reason and calculation."
  • Wilson Mizner
    "The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away."
  • Benjamin Disraeli
    "Silence is the mother of truth."
  • H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
    "Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness."

Red Light Repeal on Front Burner

February 24th, 2014 by flanews

Efforts to repeal red light cameras will be on the front burner when state lawmakers begin their annual legislative session next week, and this year’s effort to end the cameras has powerful friends.

Florida’s two most powerful lawmakers, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate both support ending red-light cameras. But their power has limits.

“I don’t think that the votes are there to do a complete repeal,” said Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), “but there are a couple of proposals that are being considered in the legislature that maybe would clean up the incentives and the motives. ”

One of the reasons repeal is likely doomed this year is inconclusive data. A recent legislative report found there were 1186 more crashes at red light intersections after the cameras went up, but 18 fewer people died.

Perhaps an even bigger obstacle to repeal: the cameras produced 118 million in revenue last year, split almost evenly between the state and local governments.

“I think that there are a couple proposals that would maintain red-light cameras to save lives but eliminate red-light cameras as a way to either enrich government or enrich some out-of-state vendors,” said Gaetz.

The Florida League of Cities is on the defensive, asking lawmakers to stand down. “Red light cameras save lives,” said Casey Cook of FL League of Cities. “We believe that they stop dangerous T-bone collisions and they make our streets safer.”

Last year lawmakers extended the time to pay the $158 fine and they created an appeal process. Cities and counties say the changes are only a few months old and need time to work.

“We haven’t had enough time yet to study those changes yet to see if they were effective or not,” said Cook.

While the ticket producing cameras may not be doomed this year, local governments could be forced to report data, not all do.

Posted in State News | Comments Off on Red Light Repeal on Front Burner

Comments are closed.

copyright © 2016 by Capitol News Service | Powered by Wordpress | Hosted by LyonsHost.com