A bill in the Colorado House would ban red-light traffic cameras, like this one at East Sixth Avenue and East Speer Boulevard in Denver. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file photo)
A bill that effectively bans red-light cameras and photo radar is stalled in the House after a Democratic lawmaker “complicated” the situation when it had been expected to die in committee or at least be changed to a study.
“I told people that I would probably oppose the bill,” said Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, but he instead he voted with Republicans in the Appropriations Committee last Friday to send the measure to the House for debate.
“I think it’s fair to say that people are frustrated that I complicated it,” Singer said today.
The bill so far has not been called up for debate; the session must end by midnight Wednesday.
The Colorado Municipal League and various police officials oppose , saying such devices enhance public safety. The bill would ban local governments from using vehicle-identification systems to identify the owners of vehicles suspected of the traffic violations.
Rep. Jonathan Singer,
D-Longmont
Rep. Steve Humphrey, R-Severance
Singer said he was swayed by one of the Republican co-sponsors on the measure, Rep. Steve Humphrey of Severance, who agreed to support an amendment to allow local governments and not the state make the decision. Singer said he wants to amend the bill so that local governments have until 2017 to hold an election on whether to use the devices.
“If cities really believe their voters support this because it increases public safety, then it should be an easy case to make for them,” he said.
Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, said he prefers a study of the issue.
“We need to make sure that we have evidence-based practices to support their continued use and a demonstrated record of public safety associated with them,” he said.
A bi-partisan bill introduced last week in the Senate would require local governments to hold an election sometime before the end of 2016 or lose federal transportation money. by the entire Senate as early as Thursday.
