Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio's $11 billion, two-year transportation budget into law, effectively eliminating the use of speed cameras by counties and townships.

House Bill 54, which takes effect on July 1st, includes a provision that restricts counties and townships from using traffic law photo-monitoring devices, commonly known as speed cameras, to enforce traffic violations. The new law removes previous provisions that allowed their use under certain restrictions.

Speed cameras typically allow law enforcement agencies to issue tickets via mail based on photographic or video evidence of traffic violations.

The approved change to the Ohio Revised Code specifically eliminates the ability for counties, townships, and their representatives to utilize photo-monitoring devices for enforcing traffic violations.

Enactment of the ban is not welcome news for townships like Weathersfield, Liberty, and Vienna, which have used traffic cameras.

You may still see traffic cameras in municipalities like Youngstown. City police departments remain able to operate the cameras, provided a police officer is present at the camera's location. The law also stipulates that tickets can only be issued by an officer who is present and witnesses the violation.

The law requires signs to be erected, informing the public of the camera's presence.

"I've been working on this for two years. I am happy to see my amendment made it into the budget and was signed into law," said State Senator Al Cutrona, R-33rd. "Traffic cameras are nothing more than a money grab and have nothing to do with public safety,”

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 18 states and the District of Columbia currently permit the use of speed cameras.