COLUMBUS, Ohio – A police officer would be required to be on the scene for you to get a ticket from one of the red-light cameras around Ohio, including Columbus, under a bill that’s cleared the Ohio Senate.
The officer requirement was among new statewide restrictions placed on the traffic-monitoring devices in legislation approved Wednesday in a bipartisan 24-9 vote. It goes next to the Ohio House.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. William Seitz (R-Cincinnati, pictured right), said the bill addresses various legal issues arising from the devices. Fellow Republican Frank LaRose called the officer requirement “an effective ban” and voted no.
The legislation requires signs that warns drivers that a camera is being used and the establishment of a clear appeal process, Seitz said.
After surging in use, red-light cameras have faced increasing pushback, including legal challenges to their constitutionality and criticism they are nothing more than money-makers for cities.
Voters in Cleveland and one of its suburbs were the latest to ban the devices in November.