Montgomery Advertiser - "Red-light Bill Remains In Committee"

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Montgomery Advertiser - "Red-light Bill Remains In Committee"

A legislative panel Wednesday again delayed a vote on a bill to allow use of camera technology for ticketing red-light violators.

The inactivity exasperates Virginia Whitfield.

"I think it is a tragedy because we so desperately need to stop the running of red lights in this city. How many more people have to die?" said Whitfield, an east Montgomery resident who supports the legislation sponsored by Rep. David Grimes, R-Montgomery.

The bill was brought up in the House Public Safety Committee chaired by Rep. Thad McClammy, D-Montgomery. But under intense questioning from members about unresolved constitutional items and other is sues, no vote was taken Wednesday. The measure has been tabled twice.

"At this point, I believe it is proba bly a political issue, and I think that is inexcusable," Whitfield said.

Grimes also believes his bill has become a political football.

"I've been saying it all along -- the Black Caucus is the problem here," Grimes said after the committee meeting.

Caucus members Eric Major, D-Fairfield, and Demetrius Newton, D-Birmingham, raised sharp objections to the proposed legislation.

Before the legislative session started, state Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, said the Legislative Black Caucus would do whatever necessary to prevent the bill from being passed, including a floor filibuster.

"I have not spoken with Alvin Holmes or anyone in the Legislative Black Caucus at all on this bill," Major said. His concern is a matter of due process, he said, and supporters of the bill need to resolve the problem.

"They're saying if the government accuses you of doing the crime, the onus is on you to prove you didn't run the red light. That goes against everything this country was founded on," Major said. "Technology doesn't negate someone's right to have a day in court."

After a vehicle's tag number is photographed during a red-light violation and an officer reviews the photos to determine whether a violation occurred, a ticket is mailed. Critics say the vehicle owner may not have been the driver, while supporters say the same concept is used in ticketing owners for parking violations involving their vehicles.

Major also said he is not satisfied the bill ensures the camera equipment is not faulty or tampered with by law enforcement agencies to increase the number of violations to generate revenue. But Grimes said those and several other concerns were addressed in revisions he made after concerns were raised previously.

"Every amendment, every suggestion that was suggested, it was put into the bill," he said.

McClammy said the bill will be on the committee's calendar Wednesday. "We're going to give that bill an up-or-down vote," he said. "They'll have plenty of time to go over it, and we'll deal with it next week."

Neither Major nor Grimes believes chances are good for passage of the measure. "I think the chances of passage are slim to none due to the time we have remaining in the session," Major said.

There are bills already reported out of committee that likely will not receive floor votes from the entire House membership, he said. Grimes calculated the chances for passage as "zero."

"The looks on the faces and the tenor of the meeting, they had no intention of doing this . ... There are certain things that I'm willing to die for, but this is not one of them." Still, he believes significant strides have been made. "This is the kind of bill that sometimes takes two or three years to get through," Grimes said.

But Whitfield said she is not prepared to give up the fight. "I have personally contacted my senator and my friends. Everybody that I've talked to is totally for this bill. Completely," she said. "I think it will take more effort on the public to demand that it be passed," Whitfield said.

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