Wednesday, on Mobile radio's FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle) criticized legislation authorizing the installation and operation of speeding cameras in work zones on interstate highways across the state.
Introduced and sponsored by State Sen. Josh Carnley (R-Ino), the Alabama Work Zone Safety Act, also known as SB341, would specifically authorize a pilot program to have the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge, and Tunnel Authority install "photographic speed enforcement systems" on highway work zones.
"I voted no on it. I don't think it's a good idea at all. I think it's unconstitutional," Stringer said of the legislation.
"If you borrow my vehicle, and you are speeding down the road and you go through a construction zone, you're not going to get penalized. You're not going to get a ticket," explained Stringer. "They're going to mail it to me, the registered vehicle owner, and if I don't pay that, then they're going to potentially put a lien on me or block me from getting a tag on my vehicle, which is going to lead to even more trouble. We're opening Pandora's box to put these devices everywhere."
According to Stringer, the legislation could block drivers from "confronting their accuser," and lead to fundraising off of the cameras.
"A person has always been allowed to confront their accuser in this situation. How are you going to confront your accuser when it is a digital device on the side of the road? I just think that this is not a good idea."
The legislator referenced the city of Montgomery's traffic light cameras, arguing that the City has made millions in revenue from them rather than finding a tangible solution to address traffic issues, such as adding additional law enforcement to patrol roadways.
"It opens up the door for making money and fundraising off of this instead of actually doing something to make things better," noted Stringer. "The city of Montgomery has the traffic light cameras, and they're making millions of dollars off of these devices. I think that we should be trying to slow down crime and slow down the wrecks by putting troopers and officers on the ground."
The Alabama House of Representatives passed SB 341 earlier this week by a vote of 82-16, to Stringer's surprise.
"The bill comes every year. Really a shock that it was able to pass. I think we've had enough of us to kill it every year, and not just this one. Similar bills across the state. This year, they were able to get enough momentum for ALEA to get this going."
"We're going to see a lot of this in the future, and I think it's going to really put a hardship on our citizens across the state," concluded Stringer.
Additionally, SB 341 requires legislative reports on the pilot program's effectiveness in improving work zone safety.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every day.
