West Tennessee Lawmaker Gets Boost From Attorney General In Traffic Camera Take-Down

State Rep. Andy Holt’s campaign against traffic cameras has been given a big boost by Tennessee’s top lawyer.

In an opinion released this week, Attorney General Herbert Slatery writes the law plainly states only certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officers can review traffic camera footage and determine if violations have occurred.

The opinion came at the request of Holt. The West Tennessee lawmaker argues that the cameras are illegal because the state uses private
companies to review video evidence. Only footage of supposed traffic violations is then sent to certified officers, and Holt claims they simply rubber-stamp tickets.

Earlier this year, the Dresden Republican posted a Facebook video of himself setting fire to a traffic camera ticket, urging other Tennesseans to follow suit. He says he’s going to ask district attorneys across the state to remove cameras subject to Slatery’s opinion and hopes to see a class-action lawsuit filed soon.