MILWAUKEE — On Tuesday, state senators held a public hearing on a bill to implement red light cameras in Milwaukee, bringing the city one step closer to implementing a program that supporters say could help curb reckless driving.
The proposal would allow up to 75 red light cameras across Milwaukee — five in each of the city's 15 aldermanic districts. Fines would range from $20 to $100, and only drivers going 15mph over the speed limit would be ticketed.
For Tina Ortiz, the legislation represents years of advocacy born from personal tragedy. In 2018, she was struck by a drunk driver and lost her left leg.
"They probably could have stopped the person, caught the person right away; it could've made many different effects. I wouldn't have been hit as hard, I wouldn't have been ejected out of my windshield with the seatbelt on," Ortiz said.
Watch: Some Milwaukee residents push for red light cameras at senate hearing
Dr. Jennifer Potts, who owns a business on Center Street, said cameras could help address Milwaukee's ongoing issues with reckless driving.
"We want normalcy. We want our businesses to operate, we want people to feel safe, we want people to be able to cross the street without fear of being mowed down," Potts said.
Not everyone at the hearing was convinced that the cameras are the best solution. Senator Van Wanggaard from Racine questioned whether other resources, like increased police staffing, might yield better results.
"When you have someone who is getting a ticket and you're actually having a conversation, it's right now, it's immediate," Wanggaard said.
Despite some skepticism, most people at the hearing supported the bill's passage. Ortiz remained committed to pushing the legislation forward.
"And I'm going to stay here five toes down, not ten, five toes down to keep pushing this bill. Because it's needed, we need to get it pushed so we can have prevention. That's my biggest goal is prevention. Let's make the right choice," Ortiz said.
The bill's author, Senator Dora Drake, said this marks the first time this piece of legislation has made it to a committee hearing. While she's uncertain when the bill could be voted on at the state level, Drake expressed hope that Tuesday's testimony will push it forward.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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