Oregon lawmakers had a chance to hear from Eugene-area activists and law enforcement about automatic license plate reader technology Monday.

The cameras were the topic of an Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in anticipation of the issue coming up during next year’s legislative session.

State Sen. James Manning, D-Eugene, said he was concerned about surveilling innocent people and the technology’s potential for abuse.

"I do support law enforcement using every available tool to track and catch wrongdoers,” Manning said. “But, it's also like a net, to me that I'm hearing, that's sweeping up everybody."

Few other lawmakers had questions or comments about the technology, but committee chair Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said he anticipated legislation would come forward in 2026.

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