Boise's Red Light Camera Dreams Hit Legislative Red Light
Another classic case of Boise versus state authority plays out in Idaho.
Boise officials wanted to catch red-light runners with automated cameras, but the Idaho Legislature has stepped on the brakes. In what might surprise absolutely no one who watches Idaho politics, the state and city found themselves at odds over local law enforcement tools.
The City of Boise approved an agreement with the Ada County Highway District last fall for a pilot program to install cameras at traffic lights. The cameras would have photographed drivers who ran red lights and automatically mailed them tickets, according to BoiseDev Editor Don Day's July 14, 2025, report.
"This is something that many of our residents have asked us to look into," Mayor Lauren McLean said in October, per Day's reporting. "I'm excited we've gotten to this point because it's been a priority to do everything we can to enforce red lights."
But state lawmakers had different plans. In March, Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, introduced Senate Bill 1180, which restricts passive cameras to investigating felonies, misdemeanors, traffic crashes, or searching for missing people. The legislation specifically banned the use of automated cameras "to enforce traffic infractions other than those associated with a traffic accident," according to the Idaho Freedom Foundation's analysis.
Boise City Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton testified against the bill, arguing it would limit tools his traffic safety task force hoped would reduce deadly accidents. "It limits our law enforcement to actually address reckless driving that actually results in a crash or in a misdemeanor," Hallyburton said, according to Day's report.
The legislation passed both chambers, and Governor Brad Little signed it on April 4. The law took effect on July 1.
City of Boise spokesperson Maria Ortega confirmed the cameras are dead on arrival.
"At the moment, we believe that Senate Bill 1180 prevents the city from conducting the red-light camera enforcement pilot and we are not moving forward with it," she wrote, per Day's reporting.
The dispute reflects the growing tension between Boise and the Idaho Legislature's goals—a familiar theme in Idaho politics, where principles of limited government sometimes clash with practical enforcement needs at the local level.