The Missouri General Assembly has never been able to come to agreement
about whether red light cameras and speed cameras should be used in the
state. Bills put forward to advance photo enforcement have failed just
as often as legislation that would ban automated ticketing machines.
Last week, the state House of Representatives came up with what a large
majority, 109 to 37, saw as the perfect compromise. They voted to pass
the decision along to the people.
If the measure passes the state Senate and is signed into law by
Governor Jay Nixon (D), a measure banning red light cameras and speed
cameras would be placed on the August 2, 2016 statewide ballot. The
proposed measure leaves open the use of cameras for automated license
plate readers (ALPR or ANPR) and toll road cameras.
"No county, city, town, village, municipality, state agency, or other
political subdivision of this state shall enact, adopt, or enforce any
law, ordinance, regulation, order, or other provision that authorizes
the use of an automated traffic enforcement system or systems to
establish evidence that a motor vehicle or its operator is not in
compliance with traffic signals, traffic speeds, or other traffic laws,
ordinances, rules, or regulations on any public street, road or highway
within this state, or to impose or collect any civil or criminal fine,
fee, or penalty for any such noncompliance," the propose ballot language
states.
Judging by the response in St. Charles County, a suburb of St. Louis,
the cameras would not fare well in an electoral challenge. Of the
county's 379,000 residents who voted in November, 73 percent wanted the red light cameras to be gone. Even the state courts have recently reversed course and begun pushing back against the use of cameras.
