House Speaker Will Weatherford says he wants to overhaul the state's red-light camera law, pointing to a new report he described as "scathing" on Wednesday. He said he would support passing a bill to repeal the cameras, though he acknowledged that likely won't happen.
The speaker's comments came after two state lawmakers held a news conference Monday to release a report on the cameras by the Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.
Weatherford says the report shows the cameras are being misused."Everything they said that they will do, they have not done. It has been a revenue stream for cities and counties", Weatherford said. "It has not been something to provide safety for Floridians. There have obviously been some scandals and some fraud associated with it as well."
The report outlines possible changes in the state's red-light camera law, such as requiring local governments to prove a safety need at each intersection where cameras may be installed.
Other recommendations include requiring communities to follow standards on the lengths of yellow lights and restricting revenue generated by the cameras to public-safety uses.
The Florida League of Cities questioned the fairness of the study.