Georgia voters would decide if local governments can use cameras to enforce speed limits in school zones under a bill that cleared the state Senate on Tuesday.
Traffic cameras have been a hot-button issue in Georgia for years. Supporters say they protect children, but critics say they have become a revenue generator for local governments.
The state House passed two competing bills last year, one that would have banned the cameras outright and one that would have limited their use. Both proposals failed to pass the Senate.
On Tuesday, the Senate revived one of the House bills. But they made some big changes. Local governments would have to ask voters for permission to use the cameras. Existing cameras would stay in place, but they would be up for voter approval as contracts expire.
Plus, local governments could use the cameras only one hour before school starts and one hour after it ends. Flashing lights would alert motorists when the cameras are enforcing reduced speeds.
The restriction on the hours of operation would address complaints that some communities enforce school zone speed limits outside of school hours and during school vacations.
The bill now goes back to the House of Representatives. But its 49-to-1 approval in the Senate suggests widespread support among lawmakers.
“They’re aggravating as all get out,” said state Sen. Randy Robertson, a Republican from Cataula and a retired law enforcement officer. “But I understand their purpose.”
The bill would also limit fines to only drivers going more than 10 mph over the speed limit. It decreases the online processing fee to pay the fines from $25 to $10. And it says the fines from such violations count toward a cap on traffic fine revenue for local governments that’s designed to discourage speed traps on Georgia highways.
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