AUSTIN (KXAN) – A bill to ban red light cameras passed the Texas House. The vote was 109 to 34 to approve the bill by Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford).
Rep. Stickland has argued that red light cameras are unconstitutional. “The burden of proof is on the person to prove that they are innocent, which is a complete upside-down view of our judicial process and the notion that you are innocent until you are proven guilty,” Stickland said after the vote.
Opponents of the ban say the cameras can save lives by reducing serious accidents at intersections.
Before the vote, Rep. Ramon Romero, Jr. (D-Fort Worth) spoke forcefully against the bill. Romero described an accident he had, where he said he hit a vehicle that ran a red light. He said it was “by the grace of God” that no one died in the crash.
“If you have any question about this vote, and whether your vote is going to contribute towards another death, make no mistake because that’s exactly what you are going to do,” Romero, Jr. said before the measure passed.
The measure still has to clear the Senate before the ban would go to the Governor to become law. The companion bill is still pending in the Senate.
