Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/14/1437.asp

11/10/2006

Camera Foe to Become Arizona Senate Majority Leader
A foe of photo enforcement is set to become the next Arizona Senate majority leader.

Republican state senators in Arizona have chosen Thayer Verschoor to become the state's next Senate majority leader, replacing Timothy S. Bee. Verschoor, who represents the city of Gilbert, has introduced a number of legislative initiatives that would prove fatal to the foreign companies that operate photo enforcement within the state.

Verschoor introduced SB1001, a bill designed to increase intersection safety by mandating a minimum of 4 seconds of yellow warning time at stoplights. Verschoor cited a Texas Transportation Institute study that showed an extra second of yellow reduced accidents by 40 percent -- without the need for red light cameras. This has earned Verschoor the ire of Redflex, the Australian company that makes millions installing cameras throughout the state.

Verschoor also introduced legislation that would ban photo radar from freeways in the state. It passed 17-11 in the Senate and although a majority favored it 29-26 in the House, the bill required two additional votes for final passage.