THE Dance Moves, page 4 & 5
VOLUME 52 ISSUE 19
1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
State proposes traffic camera ban Katherine Mayhew Staff Writer
Traffic cameras may be banned in Iowa in the near future. A bill that could ban all traffic cameras statewide is currently going through the Senate of the Iowa legislature. Although there were never any traffic cameras in Cedar Falls, if the bill passes, all traffic cameras will disappear from cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. For people to get ticketed for speeding or running a red light, a police officer would have to catch them in the act rather than relying on a picture. Many Iowans disagree on the safety, constitutionality and privacy of traffic cameras, but many support the proposed ban. “This issue to me is about freedom. It’s about a surveillance culture that is overtaking our society. I have 10,000 signatures on my desk wanting the state legislature to ban these cameras. A recent grass roots poll
taken in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area showed 94 percent of participants wanted traffic cameras banned. I believe this is because people don’t want a surveillance camera culture watching everything we do,” Cedar Falls Representative Walt Rogers said. A portion of the controversy is over whether traffic cameras actually make the roads safer. Social studies teacher Kevin Stewart said he believes that this is exactly what traffic cameras are meant to do. “You have to remember driving is a privilege, not your right, and so traffic cameras are designed to assist law enforcement in public safety,” Stewart said. Despite the intended purpose of traffic cameras, they also may create different traffic issues like senior Erin Harris described. “It [traffic cameras] might cause more problems than it actually makes the situation better,” Harris said.
As strange as it may seem, Harris’s thoughts questioning the safety of traffic cameras are valid. A recent safety evaluation of red-light cameras by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that even though the presence of traffic cameras reduced the amount and severity of right-angle crashes at those particular intersections, it also increased the amount and severity of rear-end crashes at those intersections by nearly the same amounts. Another issue that English teacher Judy Timmins proposed is the possibility of the surveillance of some interstates making other routes more dangerous. “When people know someone is watching them, it changes their behavior. While it may make the interstate more safe, will they just take a different route and break the same traffic laws somewhere else?” Timmins asked. Junior Delane Klemensen
Are you in favor of traffic cameras for catching those running red lights and speeding?
YES
NO
Soph. 35%
65%
Jrs.
30%
70%
Srs.
25%
75%
This poll represents a total of 10 percent of all students — 40 per grade, 20 per gender in each grade.
said she believes traffic cameras can help in situations they were not created for. “We definitely need more cameras, so if there’s an accident we need to know who’s fault it is,” Klemensen said. Another junior, Justin Van Heiden agreed but also noted a different purpose of
the cameras. “They’re just a way for the government to get money,” Heiden said. School Liaison Officer Mark Abernathy, who has no opinion regarding the cameras, also acknowledged the possible financial benefits
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Iowa denies couples parental rights Maya Amjadi News Editor
Recent events in the ongoing struggle for homosexual couples in Iowa illustrate that even though gay marriage was made legal in 2009, attributing circumstances handled by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) are not dealt with equally to those of heterosexual couples. The IDPH, which Gov. Branstad oversees, issues birth and death certificates. Recently, married couple Jessica and Jennifer Buntemeyer of Davenport used in vitro fertilization to produce a child, but the baby was delivered stillborn at 30 weeks. The devastated mothers filled out a death certificate for their
son, Brayden. However, when Representative Kajtazovich they received it back from from District 21 said. On the IDPH, Jennifer’s name Feb. 8, Lambda Legal (a law had been whited We are just two women out. “The law who want to be responon the surface sible for our child. seems —Heather Garter to make Iowa parent common sense that all firm based in New York) married couples have the announced it was filing a suit same rights, but it turns out against the IDPH. it [the 2009 Supreme Court In a recent Polk County ruling] did not specifically trial, a lawyer from Lambda address the parental issues Legal debated Des Moines’ like this. It was never brought couple’s (Melissa and Heather up before the legislators to Gartner) rights to a birth ceraddress potential confusion tificate for their daughter with as some of these recent cases both of their names listed. demonstrate,” Iowa House
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“We knew a lawyer through a family member, and Lambda Legal works on these kind of cases for equality,” Heather said. The court ruled that legitimacy in spousal presumption pertains equally to married same-sex couples as it does heterosexual couples. “The judge had a 60-day window to make a decision and put it in writing. We found out about her decision from our lawyers,” Heather said. Judge Eliza Ovrom of the District Court also ruled that Iowa’s birth certificate must be gender neutral and ordered that the IDPH grant the birth certificate listing both Melissa and Heather as parents. “We were so happy with the ruling from the judge,” Heather said.
However, the IDPH is appealing the rule. “But we were both very upset with the appeal, very upset. There are a lot of other issues that need to be dealt with in the state besides this, and it is a waste of taxpayers’ money. We are just two women who want to be responsible for our child,” Heather said. Kajtazovich said that it is too early to know what will happen. “The governor’s appeal highlights that the fight for equality for same-sex couples and marriages is not over. One thing we can conclude as of now is that if the appeal prevails, the legislature might need to address this issue,” Kajtazovich said.
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