State Rep. Dale Washburn discusses school zone speed cameras, sports betting

State Representative Dale Washburn represents District 144 and is providing insight into the current legislative session.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – State Representative Dale Washburn represents District 144 and is providing insight into the current legislative session.

41NBC’s Monica Diaz-Meek spoke with Washburn about what he is focusing on this legislative session.

MONICA- Welcome back. Today we have Georgia House Representative for District 144 Dale Washburn joining us today. Thank you for being here.

DALE- Well, thank you for having me. Honored to be here.

MONICA- I’m glad to have you. It has been quite the political season so far. You’ve been very busy in Atlanta. I want to know what is going on right now at the Capitol. What are you guys working on?

DALE- Well, we just finished what is known as Crossover Day, which is the 28th day of the 40 day session. Crossover day is always a long, long day. We pass a lot of legislation, and the significance of it is that is when technically you have to have a bill out of one chamber to be able to have it considered in the other chamber. So it’s always a very busy day. We were there until 11:00 last night, and now the bill to get passed will go over to the Senate. And of course, their bills will come over to us and and we’ll see what gets out of both. A lot of them don’t make it.

MONICA- Wow. That is right a lot do not make it. Now, you had a few bills have already passed through the House, Senate and signed by the Governor. In your past so far, as you’ve been serving in 144 and previously 141. Now I want to know what is next on your radar. What are you looking forward to?

DALE- Well, my highest priority this year, and I appreciate the chance to talk about that, is the school zone cameras issue that’s been being discussed a lot. After hearing a lot of complaints from constituents and doing seeing some excellent investigative work that’s been done by a Middle Georgia newspaper, the Monroe County, Macon reporter started doing some investigating. And now a couple of Atlanta stations have done a lot on that. Anyway, I have become convinced that it is abusive, those cameras need to be banned, not altered, not drive to change them, but they need to be banned.

MONICA- You want them completely out?

DALE- I want them gone. And I’ll be glad to explain some of that to you. I introduced a bill earlier in the session to ban those cameras in Georgia. I got 100 cosigners, which is significant. There’s 180 members in the House and to have 100 of them cosign on the bill is significant. So this week we were able to pass that bill out of the House. And I’m very proud of that. Now we still have to get it through the Senate, but I’m going to work on that and have already started working on doing that.

MONICA- Alright. Now that is something really big. There was also an effort to lower the fines for Addy’s Law, which we had previously discussed lowering those fines. Where do you stand on that? Do you believe that fines should be lower? Do you feel like the fines are okay with where they’re at? What do you feel on that?

DALE- Well, I’d like to point out, first of all, that the school zone camera issue and that the Addy’s Law issue are completely separate.

MONICA- Of course.

DALE- As you know, the additional issue has to do with school busses, stop signs going out and somebody running that.

MONICA- Correct.

DALE- I was, I was at the hearing when, the representative. He has introduced a bill to lower the fine. There has been conversation that I found that is nobody wants people running past those stop signs, but that without the thinking by from what I heard discussed were, is that a $500 fine would probably be just as effective as a deterrent as $1,000 fine. And and so there is some conversation about that.

MONICA- Alright. And then the big one that a lot of people keep their eyes on, they’re talking about sports betting. They’re looking at it. Unfortunately it did not pass. So we’ll see if it happens again next year. I mean, the big question is what are your thoughts on sports betting? Do you think it should be legal here in the state of Georgia?

DALE- Well, I voted yes on the bill coming out of committee. I believe my position is that, first of all, I believe the people should have the ability to decide whether or not we do that in Georgia. And that bill that is a you know, it is two bills is a constitutional amendment that lets people vote on it. And then there’s the bill that has the details of how that would work. The other thing about sports betting is this, it is being done every day in Georgia, and it is being done every day in an unregulated way. And so the people who support the idea just believe it’s being done any way it should be regulated better, and the state should be able to get revenue from it. It was going to be a 21% tax on that. And of course, issues to, find some worthwhile thing. So my position is that people should have a right to vote on that. I am not a sports better myself. I don’t I don’t, do any sports betting, but I think that the people should have the right to decide whether we do it or not. But you’re right. It did not get to the floor again.

MONICA- Alright, well, thank you so much, Mr. Washburn.