Nixon Signs Bill to Limit Missouri Cities' Profit From Fines

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday signed legislation he touted as further limiting cities' ability to profit from traffic tickets and fines, a policy goal that gained traction following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

The measure builds on a law passed last year that caps profits that cities and other municipalities can keep from traffic tickets and court fines. The new law will expand that to include fines from ordinance violations. It takes effect Aug. 28.

The legislation also will lower maximum fines for minor traffic violations from $300 to $225. It limits fines for ordinance violations, ranging from at most $200 for a first offense to $450 for a fourth offense in a year.

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But Brown's death and the sometimes violent protests that followed drew attention to some residents' and legal advocates' concerns about the generally white police force's treatment of those in the predominantly black St. Louis suburb, including the use of police to collect revenue through traffic fines and court fees.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/nixon-signs-bill-limit-missouri-cities-profit-fines-39948436

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By SUMMER BALLENTINE, ASSOCIATED PRESS JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Jun 17, 2016, 7:27 PM ET

[hobbit709]

1. when you count on "lawbreakers" to finance your operations.

It becomes real easy to find a law being broken everywhere you look.

[seabeckind]

2. Some cities would go bankrupt without parking fines.

Hel, some cities even build an entire industry around parking fines and control systems.

And then there are the tolls. Enforced long after the bridge is paid for and used to fund basic gov't functions.

Can't raise taxes, you know. Easier to gouge a captive audience.

[christx30]

7. That's why I always take the bus if

I have to go downtown. Can't pull me over if I'm not in my car.

[marble falls]

3. A surprisingly smart move from Nixon. Now lets have him ban RICO confiscation of cash by cops, too.

[Dustlawyer]

4. +1!!! ^^^This^^^!!!

[Sunlei]

5. what a good idea, I wish the Court ruling for Ferguson fine/fee Justice was a National ruling.

[cstanleytech]

6. Does it stop them from tacking on new "fees" though to take the place of the money

from the fines?

[Chakab]

8. The elephant in the room is that this nonsense started because of tax breaks given to the

wealthy and local businesses.

[appalachiablue]

9. K & R. Glad to see this, but will they invent other means to find revenue.

[bemildred]

10. "Running government like a business." nt

[Gothmog]

11. This reform is needed

This is a great reform

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Good