LOS ANGELES – A statewide traffic amnesty program is set to end next Monday, according to the lawmaker who proposed it.
Hundreds of thousands of Californians have cleared debts from traffic fines and gotten their suspended driver’s licenses back as a result of the program, according to the office of Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys.
Motorists eligible for the one-time offer of amnesty include those with unpaid tickets with fines originally due on or before Jan. 1, 2013, who haven’t made a payment after Sept. 30, 2015. Under the program, fines may be reduced by 50 or 80 percent depending on income.
Those who made payments after Sept. 30, 2015, may be eligible to have their license reinstated if they are on a payment plan, but won’t benefit from reduced fines.
To read more about the program, click here. [View a video on the traffic amnesty program below]
The program doesn’t apply to parking tickets, drunken driving offenses or citations for reckless driving.
Created in 2015, the legislation is due to expire Friday, March 31, but due to a state holiday in honor of farmworkers advocate Cesar Chavez, will end on April 3.
Hertzberg, who authored the amnesty legislation, has proposed another bill that would prevent the automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for people unable to pay fines or fees for minor traffic violations and would also force courts to base fines on motorists’ ability to pay.
Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal also calls for an end to license suspensions for those who fail to pay traffic tickets.
African says
Stfu you whiny a** over privileged cry baby.
My 2 Cents says
It didn’t take long to see who authored this bill….Democrats love the word ‘amnesty’ instead of holding people accountable for their actions they will do everything in their power to get their vote! Breaking the law is breaking the law it is not income blind!
Tim Scott says
I would certainly have guessed a Democrat authored the bill, because it became the law. Republicans write bills like “we hate that Obamacare thing” that couldn’t be made into a law at all, then pat themselves on the back and get back to drinking until the next time they need to prove they are working. Then they bust out the crayons and grab another napkin.
When confronted by “okay, now you have to get something done” they are left completely at a loss. They have not the first clue how to manage healthcare, or anything else.
In this case the state was burdened with a gigantic, and growing, amount of uncollectable debt. People who can’t drive in California, for the most part, can’t work. Spending money chasing them around to remind them they owe money that they can’t pay is a pointless expense. Pushing them out of the labor force might have made sense under a Republican administration like GWBush, who created unemployment every time he turned around, but as the Obama administration drove unemployment down to friction levels we needed those people back in the work force.
So, hey, forgive debt that is never likely to be collected on. Get those people back to work. They will probably get another ticket anyway, and maybe they’ll be able to pay it this time. Swell income through traffic fines is a great Republican policy, but ya gotta let the Democrats get people working so they can pay.
Mike says
Yeah and all you have to do is look at California and the shape its in being run by democrats to see how much they get done dont you? Boy the sure have done one hell of a job havent they? The states so far in debt theyll never get out of it. Good job democrats, Thats really cool of them to allow every illegal that wants to enter the United States to come on in too. All them sanctuary cities in California are gteat for the economy arent they. Another fine job we can thank the democrats for huh? And keep passing those laws giving every tom dick and Harry all that welfare for having more and more babies so they can get bigger checks each month. Good job democrats.i have to say they really are doing a great job arent they.
Laughing says
Guess that must be the same view of the Republican law makers in California that voted FOR this bill to go forward.
Why is it hard for many republicans to understand laws have to be voted on and passed by members of ALL parties (Democrats/Republicans/Independents/Green/others in office) with the usual nay votes from all of the above as well because not everyone agrees in a single party either.