Red light camera initiatives struck down again

Another Washington court has ruled in favor of red light cameras and a city’s ability to use them.

The state court of appeals ruled on Monday that citizen’s advisory initiatives, those that aren’t binding, cannot be used to get rid of red light cameras.

This comes from a case in Monroe where a citizen’s group tried to voice their displeasure over the city’s red light cameras.

The city sued to prevent the advisory vote citing state law that red light cameras are not subject to local initiatives.

The court of appeals ruled the power to legislate the use of these cameras is given exclusively to the governing body of a city and not the electorate.

It supports a State Supreme Court ruling last year involving the red light cameras in Mukilteo. In that case, voters tried a binding initiative to remove the cameras. The high court cited the same state law, and the case was tossed out.

Activist Tim Eyman had his hands in both cases, and he calls the decisions “frightening.”

“For the first time in our state’s history, the courts have now made it illegal for the citizens of the state of Washington to even express an opinion on certain topics,” he said.

Activist Tim Eyman has put an initiative on the November ballot that would allow these initiatives to continue.