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Cleveland Plain Dealer
Traffic camera
firms relied on lobbyists to stop proposed ban in Ohio legislature:
Follow the Money
By Jeremy Pelzer, Northeast Ohio Media Group
September 24, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A proposed statewide ban on most traffic enforcement
cameras received bipartisan approval in the Ohio House last year, but
the bill died in the Ohio Senate after attracting the attention of
dozens of lobbyists working for camera supporters, Northeast Ohio Media
Group has found.
Disclosure forms filed with the state show about a dozen lobbyists
registered to deal with the camera legislation – House Bill 69 – on
behalf of companies that provide the traffic cameras to municipalities.
Another 25 people registered to lobby on behalf of local governments
that use the cameras and law enforcement groups.
NEOMG examined the demise of the bill as part of its ongoing series
"Follow the Money," which in past installments has looked at whether
campaign contributions from special interests influence how state
lawmakers vote.
In this case, however, records show there were comparatively few
donations made by the major players opposed to HB 69, which included
camera companies, law enforcement groups and local governments.
Since the bill was introduced in early 2013, pro-camera lobbyists and
their immediate family members contributed more than $32,000 to
legislative campaigns, according to campaign finance records kept by
the Ohio Secretary of State's Office...
Read the rest of the article at the Cleveland Plain Dealer
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