Costa Howard Sponsors Package of Bills Targeting Red Light Camera Abuse

SPRINGFIELD – State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, is calling for an overhaul of the red light camera industry in the wake of an overwhelming House vote to ban the controversial camera systems in many Illinois communities.

“As we’ve seen in so many recent news stories, the red light camera systems that were marketed to residents as a public safety measure have been used instead to ensnare drivers and unjustly fill up municipal coffers,” said Costa Howard. “These red light cameras are fostering corruption and greed in communities throughout Illinois, and it’s clear that we need to clean up the industry from top to bottom.”

Costa Howard is a sponsor of House Bill 322, which would ban the use of red light cameras in non-home rule municipalities in eight Illinois counties, including DuPage and Cook. The bill was approved by the House on Wednesday, with a bipartisan 84-4 vote, and now moves to the Illinois Senate for further consideration.

Costa Howard also supports House Bill 326, which would require the Illinois Department of Transportation to conduct a study on red light camera systems’ operations, usage, permitting processes, and regulations.

“We need to rethink how we keep people safe, both from dangerous drivers and from officials who prioritize their own gain above the public welfare,” Costa Howard added. “These restrictions on red light camera use will help us to begin rooting out corruption in this industry. I’m eager to continue enacting reforms that will require greater transparency in the revenue and expenditures of these companies, disclosure of their consultants, and increased oversight and regulation that will protect the safety – and the bank accounts – of law-abiding drivers in our communities.”