NMA State Alert for Michigan: Bills in State House to Outlaw Speed Traps
Since this article was published in late April, two bills have been introduced to the Michigan Legislature to force local governments to set speed limits based on a formula tied to the 85th percentile speed, which would in turn be determined from a recent traffic and engineering survey. The goal of the proposed legislation is to close loopholes that some city attorneys claim allow their jurisdictions to avoid compliance with Public Safety Act 85. In essence, the new bills would shut down speed traps, which thrive when limits are posted too low for prevailing traffic speeds.
HB 6164 is sponsored by Rep. Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit) and HB 6165 is sponsored by Rep. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), both former law enforcement officers. Their comments in opposition to speed traps (per the link in the paragraph above) support what the NMA has long held --- that the issue with speed traps has to do with the laws and policies that the police are charged with enforcing, not with the officers (with few exceptions) themselves.
Both bills are being reviewed by the Urban Policy Committee in the House. In addition to sending letters of thanks to Scott and Jones, your support of HB 6164 and HB 6165 can best be shown with a call, email or letter to the members in that committee --- Barnett, Hansen, Leland, Meadows, Meltzer, Nathan, Pavlov, Paul Scott, Segal, Stanley and Womack. Contact information can be obtained from this list of Michigan State Representatives.
