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A move to make an infamous "speed trap" less profitable in the town of Mantua in Box Elder County crashed into a legislative roadblock Friday.

After members argued that the state should not interfere with local law enforcement, the House Transportation Committee voted 7-1 to defeat SB100. The Senate previously had passed it 23-4.

The bill would have allowed no Utah city to generate more than 25 percent of its budget through traffic fines.

Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, the bill's sponsor, says Mantua now receives about 39 percent of its revenue from writing tickets, resulting in low property taxes. No other city in Utah generates more than 16 percent of its budget from traffic tickets, he said.

Cache Valley constituents of Hillyard have complained for years about receiving expensive tickets in Mantua, population 741, for slightly exceeding the speed limit in the town at the bottom of steep Sardine Canyon.

Mike Johnson, who is both Mantua's mayor and police chief, testified that tickets generally are not issued to anyone traveling less than 71 mph in the 60 mph zone there. He said if the city loses its police because it can no longer afford them, the safety of everyone traveling in Sardine Canyon would suffer.

Rep. Justin Fawson, R-North Ogden, said he was ticketed in Mantua, "But, frankly, I was ticketed because I was speeding." He added that he could not support the bill because it would discourage enforcing the law.

Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi, said it would be wiser to solve problems in other ways, including possibly raising the speed limit or reducing the fines allowed for speeding.

The committee voted down the bill despite pleas from Hillyard that zeal by Mantua police is chasing away tourists who "will never drive that canyon again, will never go to Logan again, because of how they were treated. It's different there than everywhere else."