Bill banning third parties from collecting speed camera fines advances in Iowa House
By Beau Bowman
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A public safety subcommittee has approved a bill that would remove third-party entities from the speed camera process in Iowa. This means that these entities would no longer be able to collect fines on behalf of the city or take a portion of the fines.
Rep. Henry Stone, a Republican from Forest City, introduced the bill. He argues that out-of-state private companies should not profit from Iowa speeders. “If the city is going to issue the citation, they are the ones who should come after you for that,” Stone said. He added, “We shouldn’t have an entity out of Tennessee or Texas or California taking those fines out of Iowans’ taxes.”
Marshalltown Police Department Chief Michael Tupper expressed concerns about the bill’s implications. He noted that if the bill passes, the responsibility of issuing tickets and tracking down offenders would fall on the cities, which might not have the resources to enforce them, potentially rendering the cameras ineffective. “If you receive a citation and you can’t use a third party to collect the fines, where is the deterrent, because no one is coming to look for you,” Tupper explained.
Other cities like Cedar Rapids have indicated they will continue to enforce the cameras, but this would place the burden on city staff and, ultimately, taxpayers. The Linn County city’s lobbyist, Gary Grant, highlighted the efficiency of using third parties, saying, “Using third parties is the most effective, efficient way to do this. If we’re no longer able to do that, we’ll have to assign that to city employees, and in an era where we’re being encouraged to explore smaller, smarter government and less pressure on property taxes, we think this is the most efficient way to do it.”
Stone remains open to further discussions, saying, “I’m interested in seeing those numbers, seeing what that’s going to cost, and moving the conversation forward.”
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