A popular bill that would have banned photo radar cameras was vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs this week. The cameras are currently prohibited on state highways.
The lawmakers who supported the bill say photo radar cameras violate the privacy of Arizona’s unsuspecting drivers.
The bill, SB 1234, would have prohibited non-human photo enforcement systems to identify drivers who are speeding, running red lights or failing to obey other traffic control measures.
“Cities and towns use the photo radar scheme to collect millions of dollars from unwitting statewide drivers, each year. This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, a scheme never contemplated under state law,” said the bill’s sponsor Senator Wendy Rogers. “These surveillance systems ignore the root causes of safety concerns on our roads. They do little to eliminate immediate threats like drunk drivers, reckless drivers or speeders. Instead, photo radar cameras provide quick cash for the coffers of unelected municipal bureaucrats.”
“Furthermore, photo radar incentivizes politicians to penalize our citizens with unfair fines because 10% of each citation goes directly to fund campaigns through the AZ Clean Elections program,” said Rogers. “To add insult to injury, every single motor vehicle driver who passes by a camera, whether they’ve violated the law or not, are being photographed and documented. This is an egregious invasion of our privacy. Hobbs’ veto fails Arizonans. She will ultimately answer to our fleeced drivers who don’t support this years-long cash grab cloaked in the name of ‘traffic enforcement.'”