Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R) has announced that he has filed a bill in the Florida House, “a Bill to BAN red-light cameras – one of the BIGGEST taxpayer scams in American history and used exclusively to pad the pockets of big-spending local governments.”
The Florida lawmaker added that “numerous studies have shown they have ZERO contribution to public safety,” calling the cameras a “total fraud.”
JUST FILED HB 6009, a Bill to BAN red-light cameras—one of the BIGGEST taxpayer scams in American history and used exclusively to pad the pockets of big-spending local governments. Numerous studies have shown they have ZERO contribution to public safety—total fraud. pic.twitter.com/s81TBmZfex
— Rep. Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) December 7, 2020
For the past couple of years, the Florida House has taken aim at red-light cameras, and this resulted in lawmakers voting to repeal the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program Law in 2019.
In the bill filed this year, it's specified that it "repeals provisions relating to Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program & authorization to use traffic infraction detectors," adding that it also "repeals provisions relating to distribution of penalties, transitional implementation, & placement & installation." Finally, it "conforms cross-references & provisions to changes made by act," and it would be effective July 1st, 2024.
Sabatini has spearheaded the effort to remove red-light cameras, and in 2019, there were 49 local governments in the sunshine state that still had operating red-light cameras according to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
House Republicans are hoping that 2020 will be the year when lawmakers finally come to an agreement regarding the removal of the cameras, citing it as doing more harm than good to taxpayer’s pockets and the communities they live in.
