WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials have advanced a proposal for a traffic ticket program despite concerns about whether the new process would unfairly penalize the city’s minority populations. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the City Council approved the second reading of the ordinance Monday despite requests from the Waterloo Human Rights Commission and NAACP for additional time to review the program. The ordinance would create new municipal fines that police officers can issue instead of state traffic tickets.

Supporters say local citations would be less costly for motorists and add revenue to the city budget. Others had hoped the commission could review the proposal to ensure it wouldn’t encourage racial profiling.
The final reading of the ordinance is scheduled for next week.