How Tickets Burden the Poor
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Illinois lawmakers voted to end the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid red-light and speed camera tickets, part of a broader criminal justice reform package passed this week.
If signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the legislation would restore the driving privileges of some 11,000 people by July and eliminate a significant trigger for personal bankruptcies in Chicago.
ProPublica reported in 2018 on how Black motorists on Chicago’s West and South sides are disproportionately harmed by license suspensions over unpaid tickets, part of a series on how the city’s ticketing and debt collection systems have burdened the poor and led to tens of thousands of bankruptcies.