Bill Restricting School Zone Speed Cameras In Georgia Fails
Last week, a final push to pass a bill which would ban or restrict school zone speed cameras died in the Georgia legislature. This means the cameras, which some have come to loathe, will remain legal and operational, at least until 2026. However, there is hope a future version will be added to the state's laws.What's weird is there were two versions of the law bouncing around in the state legislature, with the Georgia House of Representatives passing one of them on April 4. However, the Senate abruptly adjourned on the final day of the legislative session just before 9:15 pm, instead of working until midnight as is traditional, reports Rough Draft Atlanta.
That means the bill, and many others which passed the house at the last minute but didn't make it to the senate, is for now on the shelf. Since it passed in the house 140-29, there's hope it will make its way through to become a law before the deadline in 2026.
While those who oppose the bill say it will lead to more injuries and maybe even deaths for students in Georgia, the school zone speed cameras have become incredibly unpopular. As more and more Georgians feel they've been issued tickets unfairly, support for the safety measure has fallen apart.
The version of the bill that passed the Georgia House of Representatives doesn't outright ban them. Instead, it takes the power to install the devices from school boards, handing that over to cities and counties. To us that seems only slightly better.
What people think is ridiculous is that the cameras issue so many fines. For example, Rough Draft Atlanta says in one small city there were about 22,000 citations in just one year's time. Some rightfully believe the cameras have just become a revenue source for government officials, not something that's about safety at all.
Another bill would stop all new speed cameras in school zones starting in July 2027, then banning their use in July 2028. Maybe next year that version will pass, especially as the cameras keep issuing so many tickets between now and then.
All this comes as there's increasing pushback against speed enforcement cameras in other parts of the US and foreign countries. It seems many drivers believe the devices aren't about keeping people safe as much as they are about bleeding an already overtaxed citizenry.
Image via WJCL News/YouTube
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