Proposed bill banning speed cameras in Georgia diluted with three-year extension

ATLANTA - Two bills targeting Georgia’s school zone speed cameras are headed for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, but both have been significantly weakened since their introduction.

One bill originally sought to ban the use of automated ticketing systems altogether. The other proposed stricter regulations aimed at protecting drivers' rights. Now, neither version resembles the bold reforms some lawmakers and drivers were hoping for.

What we know:

The Senate Rules Committee approved both measures on Tuesday, clearing them for floor votes. "All in favor, say aye," said Rules Chairman Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan. The motion passed unanimously, along with dozens of other bills.

The proposed ban, introduced by Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, came in response to years of public complaints and his own experience receiving a speed camera ticket. "I got one of those tickets, and I can afford to pay the hundred dollars," Washburn told fellow lawmakers. "But ladies and gentlemen there’s a lot of little Waffle House waitresses and cleaning folks and construction workers and school teachers and folks who don’t make a lot of money, who it’s a big deal for them to get a hundred dollar fine."

What they're saying:

But a Senate committee added language that allows camera companies to continue operating in Georgia for at least three more years. Brass said the changes were made to take a more balanced approach. "We as a whole decided, we need a more measured approach," he said. "We’re not going to let emotions drive what we do here. And when you’ve got a representative who got a speeding ticket and he’s letting emotions drive what he’s doing and he wants to ban something because he did something wrong, that’s not a good way to legislate."

Brass later clarified the cameras could remain in place unless lawmakers vote to extend the three-year sunset provision.

Dig deeper:

Washburn’s bill is not the only one that’s been watered down. A second bill, introduced by Rep. Alan Powell, initially proposed eliminating the penalty for failing to pay a speed camera ticket. Under current law, unpaid citations are sent to the Georgia Department of Revenue, which can block a car owner’s registration renewal. That penalty was removed in Powell’s original proposal but has since been reinstated.

The bill also once limited enforcement to two hours in the morning and afternoon around school start and dismissal times. Now, local governments that contract with camera vendors will have the authority to set their own enforcement hours. "We wanted to allow, really just more local control," Brass said. "Every school is in a different setting."

One remaining change: fines would now be capped at $75, regardless of how many times a driver is caught.

What's next:

Despite the rollbacks, both bills are still in play. "My plan is to put them both on the floor in the morning. On Wednesday morning," Brass said. "And we’re going to vote on both and send them back to the House. And then they can take them up, however they like."

Local perspective:

The developments are a letdown for those who hoped this would be the year Georgia removed or reined in automated enforcement. Critics like Butts County Sheriff Gary Long have long questioned the cameras’ motives. "It only leads me to believe, taxation through citation," Long said.

Big picture view:

Meanwhile, camera vendors appear to have scored a quiet victory. As the FOX 5 I-Team previously reported, those companies have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawmakers’ campaigns and political committees—contributions that spiked after a now-retired state representative first introduced a bill to eliminate the cameras last year.