[Infowarrior] - Va. Senate Approves Red-Light Cameras

[Richard Forno]

Va. Senate Approves Red-Light Cameras
House Blocks Boost Of Minimum Wage

By Amy Gardner and Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 21, 2007; A01

RICHMOND, Feb. 20 -- The Virginia General Assembly will allow local
governments to set up cameras to catch drivers who run red lights, renewing
a program that safety advocates say reduces accidents and aggressive
driving.

The Senate voted 30 to 10 Tuesday to approve a bill that would let towns,
cities and counties with populations of 10,000 or more install
photo-monitoring systems at intersections with traffic signals. The House
has already approved the measure, and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has said he
will sign it.

Nearing the close of their 45-day session, lawmakers also voted Tuesday to
phase out touch-screen voting machines because of concerns about their
accuracy. And House Republicans blocked an effort to raise the state's
minimum wage to $6.50 an hour. The session ends Saturday.

The red-light camera program would replace an experiment that expired in
2005 in Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Vienna, Virginia Beach and
Arlington and Fairfax counties. In addition to the District, Maryland and 11
other states use automated cameras for traffic enforcement.

"This is the best opportunity this legislature has had since I've been here
for 12 years to establish a statewide safety program," said Sen. Martin E.
Williams (R-Newport News). "This is for all localities in Virginia."

The real hurdle was in the more conservative House of Delegates, where
lawmakers had approved the measure this month 63 to 35. It is one in a
series of measures to be approved this year after historic resistance by
House members who have argued against what they view as unnecessary
government "nannyism" through regulation.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001
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