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House passes bill limiting automated photo-radar enforcement to school zones after contentious debate
Summary
After floor debate over civil‑liberties and public‑safety tradeoffs, the Utah House passed House Bill 81 to restrict automated photo‑radar use; a floor amendment to limit citations to drivers exceeding posted speeds by 10 mph failed; final vote was 45–22.
The House debated House Bill 81, which would regulate local use of automated photo‑radar camera systems (referred on the floor as "photo radar" or "photo‑cop"). Representative Tuttle said the intent is to confine the technology’s use to school zones while local jurisdictions build appropriate community procedures and public trust. He argued that wider deployment had not demonstrated consistently proper use.
Representative Jensen offered an amendment that would have permitted local jurisdictions to use photo radar more broadly but limited citations to offenders traveling at least 10 miles per hour over the posted limit. Jensen described the amendment as a compromise to allow local control while reducing over‑ticketing; the amendment failed.
Opponents, including Representative Atkinson, raised concerns about machine evidence and courtroom defense — "I don't know how you defend yourself against the machine," Atkinson said — and about technical problems that had led to dismissed cases in local courts. Supporters cited accident‑reduction data from West Valley City and local control arguments. After debate, the House passed HB81 by a recorded tally of 45 affirmative and 22 negative votes; the bill was forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
The floor exchange highlighted technical, legal and community‑trust issues around automated enforcement and preserved next steps for Senate review and future committee discussion.
