This just in from Senator Lembke’s office:
Yesterday Senator Jim Lembke passed an amendment to ban red light cameras in the state of Missouri. We need your help to insure that this language is not striped in committee from HB2111. Please call your Senators and State Representatives and ask them to support this amendment.
The best people to call to support this bill would be Senator Stouffer at (314) 751-1507, Representative Dixon (573) 751-9809, and Representative Faith (573) 751-1452.
Jefferson City — State Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, has added an amendment to transportation legislation which passed with a vote of 23-8. The amendment would prohibit cities across Missouri from using red light cameras for traffic enforcement.
“This is a major victory for people throughout Missouri,” Sen. Lembke said. “These red light cameras have been deemed illegal by judges, yet cities and towns continue to use them for revenue enhancement. This practice will come to an end, under our provision.”
Missouri senators passed House Bill 2111 yesterday (4/26). The measure is an omnibus transportation bill. Senator Lembke’s amendment would prohibit towns and cities from having automated red light cameras at intersections anywhere in the state.
“Local municipalities have drafted ordnances which enable red light cameras but insure that points are not assessed. This is a direct violation of state statute.” Sen. Lembke said. “This combined with the fact these cameras are ineffective and judges have been throwing out tickets issued improperly, is proof red light cameras are a violation of the law and personal liberties.”
About time someone did something about these wastes of time. These cameras are functionally useless. If they issue you a ticket, you can just ignore it, and that is the advice I’ve received from several lawyers.
I’ve gotten red light camera tickets, and the one line on the “ticket” which always made me suspicious is was
“Please send payment to the address listed on the front of this notice (Usually in Ohio or Arizona). Do not contact the local court directly as they will NOT have record of the violation”
SO, you want me to send $100 to business address in Arizona for a ticket i got making a right-on-red turn in Hazelwood….oh, and don’t check with the local authorities because they’ve never heard of it…if this was a financial product no one would reply because it sets off too many fraud flags!
I’m really no fan of traffic cops, but at least when you spend on them, they’re useful for other things too. I can’t call 911 on a burglar and count on a traffic camera to report to the scene.
What happened with this?