Missouri Trying to Ban Red Light Cameras & Plate Readers Forever

How many times have you driven through the many red light cameras in towns like Hannibal and wondered how effective they are? There's an effort in Missouri right now that would make those cameras illegal and also eliminate plate readers in the state, too.

I first saw Fox 2 in St. Louis share a bill in the Missouri senate which is called SB540. The exact wording of the bill gets right to the point of what it's trying to accomplish:

"No county, city, town, village, municipality, 2 state agency, or other political subdivision of this state 3 that is authorized to issue a notice for a violation of a 4 state or local traffic law or regulation shall use or employ 5 an automated photo red light enforcement system at any 6 intersection within its jurisdiction."

It goes on to define what a red light camera device is to cover up any loopholes that in the past have allowed their use. It also all but eliminates the plate readers that red light cameras use or like the ones deployed in many parts of Illinois.

There is an exception to the license plate reader ban that's proposed though. Plate readers that are utilized in police vehicles would remain legal. If it's a device in a police car that captures license plate information, that would remain OK for law enforcement use.

It remains to be seen if this bill will pass the Missouri senate and become law eventually.