JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In the wake of the overwhelming support of citizens in St. Charles County, Rep. Curtman filed House Bill 207, which will pose the people of Missouri with one simple question, “Do you support red-light cameras?”.
“Studies have consistently shown that the presence of red light cameras has done little if anything to improve compliance with traffic laws and in most cases has actually contributed to an increase in traffic collisions,” said Rep. Curtman.
“What’s worse; municipal leaders have created ordinances that classify a movement caught by a red light camera as a non-moving violation, that way they can collect a fee without assigning points. If the same offense was observed by an officer, then there would likely be a fee and points assigned, which is a clear contradiction to the fundamental concepts of due process of the law,” Rep. Curtman explained.
“This type of law-smithing leads to abuse and waste to the point that we have to spend valuable taxpayer dollars to get the Missouri courts to decide if moving through a red light constitutes a “moving violation”. This is absurd and it serves as a perfect illustration of why people distrust their government.”
Rep. Curtman continued, “At the end of the day, its all about municipalities generating revenue in a way that builds barriers of distrust between the people and their government. I intend to afford Missourians the opportunity to speak loud and clear as a check and balance to their government; and this bill allows just that.”
Rep. Curtman served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman on active duty from 1999-2003 and in the Marine Corps reserves until 2009. He currently serves as the chair of the House Committee on Downsizing State Government, which has aimed to examine the various ways in which government practices and operations have encroached on the everyday citizen.
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