Milwaukee red light, speed cameras; Wisconsin lawmakers hear debate

Milwaukee red light, speed cameras; Wisconsin lawmakers hear debate

Wisconsin lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on a bipartisan bill to allow speed and red light cameras in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE - There’s a heated debate surrounding red light and speed cameras in Milwaukee.

What we know:

Wisconsin does not allow them, but a new bipartisan state bill could change that for Milwaukee. Wisconsin lawmakers on Tuesday, Oct. 7, heard testimony on the bipartisan proposal.

The bill would allow the city to mail tickets to vehicle owners if their cars are caught speeding more than 15 miles per hour over the limit or running red lights. Revenue would first cover program costs, with any remainder going toward traffic enforcement, safety and infrastructure.

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Most speakers at a Senate hearing at the Summerfest offices backed the measure, including Milwaukee’s mayor and police chief.

What they're saying:

"The City of Milwaukee needs this proven tool to add to our toolbox," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.

"There are more intersections than there are officers," Police Chief Jeffrey Norman told lawmakers. "My daughter, who is 17, operates in these roadways. Believe me, there is no more than a dad knowing their loved one is out there operating within these streets, and I would do anything that I can, in a legal and constitutional way, to make sure that happens."

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Milwaukee red light, speed cameras; new proposal from lawmakers

Wisconsin does not allow red light or speed cameras to snap photos of lawbreakers and send them a ticket. But a new proposal from bipartisan lawmakers tries again to get the green light.

Among those urging passage was Tina Ortiz, who lost her leg in a 2018 drunk-driving hit-and-run.

"I’m actually a survivor, almost a fatality, but I made it," Ortiz said. "I support this bill because we need to change. Maybe, if the cameras were up, they could have caught her."

The other side:

Some disagreed, arguing cameras will not solve reckless driving.

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"It’s like Mad Max driving down some of these roads. Do I think cameras are going to stop some of those behaviors? Absolutely not," said Ron Jansen, who opposes the bill. "People in Milwaukee don’t need more ways to be punished. What we need is our fair share of state revenue and local control, so we can create our own investment and invest in things like housing and education."

Dig deeper:

The bill has a long way to go. Similar measures have stalled since 2017. Bill sponsor Sen. Dora Drake said the city has seen traffic deaths increase 86% since 2012, even as statewide traffic deaths fell 6% during that same time.