speed camera
“We stand today to defend the integrity of the election process in America.”
Those were the words of an attorney representing activists leading the fight against red light cameras in Houston, TX - America’s fourth largest city. Last month city voters moved 53% in favor of banning the cameras and they were turned off just over a week later. Now playing the part of sore loser, camera provider American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is suing the city, claiming that voters didn’t have the right to weigh in on the matter.
People around the country have been fighting against speed and red light cameras ever since they started dotting intersections and roadsides in the 1990’s. In many states this policy debate is moving to the ballot, where initiative and referendum rights are able to give voters a voice on an issue that is often decided by unelected law enforcement and highway officials.