Rep seeks to ban traffic cameras
Cincinnati Enquirer
COLUMBUS — Slow down, big brother. That’s the warning from state Rep. Courtney Combs, who last week introduced legislation to ban traffic-light cameras.
Combs, a Republican from Hamilton, proposed state legislation last week. Cincinnati voters have turned down such ticket-monitoring devices at intersections, but Middletown has them, and Hamilton plans to install them soon.
House Bill 143 will ban the use of traffic photo-monitoring devices by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, counties and townships. Cities under ‘home rule’ are exempt from the legislation because of a 2008 Ohio Supreme Court ruling.
Middletown and Hamilton are fighting Combs’ legislation, calling red-light traffic cameras a safety issue. Both cities qualify for home-rule status.
Middletown, which has had red-light cameras since 2005, approved its contract in November. Its city manager calls it a safety issue and home-rule issue. Middletown and Redflex officials did not return calls.
Hamilton is still negotiating contract details, also with Redflex Group, a company based in Phoenix. Hamilton City Council is expected to vote on the deal soon, according to Pat Tully, Combs’ legislative assistant. Hamilton officials did not return phone calls.
Cincinnati voters approved a ban on traffic-light cameras in November, just months after city council rejected a proposal to install the devices downtown. Mayor Mark Mallory has vowed to veto any new proposal in favor of the cameras.
Combs said his bill, which has yet to be assigned to a legislative committee for hearings “seeks to prevent millions of dollars from going to out-of-state traffic-camera vendors.”
“This is a money grab,’’ Combs said. “It is time to put a stop to the invasion of our privacy and having big brother looking over our shoulders.”
Redflex Traffic Systems operates cameras in 22 states, including Ohio. The company’s after-tax profits were $10.6 million in 2008, up from $7.3 million in 2007. More than half of all ticket revenue went to the company.
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones agrees with Combs and is against red-light cameras even if they would bring in traffic-ticket revenue.
“The government’s into enough of our lives,” Jones said. “In bad economic times, I don’t believe that law enforcement or cities or townships should be in the business of coming up with ideas on how to make money.”