A state lawmaker says going after parking ticket scofflaws could generate tens of millions of dollars.

State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) testifies before a Senate Committee in favor of a bill he introduced to help financially strapped local governments by allowing them to tow or immobilize cars that have multiple overdue parking violations. He says it’s no minor matter for some municipalities, such as Milwaukee, which has outstanding parking tickets worth $63.6 million.

The Milwaukee Democrat introduced the bill at the request of the city of Milwaukee. Although not mandatory, Carpenter says this bill (SB-297) would give cities greater tools to collect what is owed, overdue, and not contested in court.

When one’s vehicle gets booted, the driver has three options, according to Shirley Krug of Milwaukee Public Works. All three of them require the offender to pay the booting fee. Then the owner has to pay the tickets in whole, partially, or go to court.

After booting, a notice must be placed on the car with a phone number and a description of how to have the boot released. Krug says in exchange for your credit number to pay the booting fee, officials will immediately give motorists a boot-release number. That cost has not yet been determined, but could be around 60 bucks.

This bill would not require communities and counties to enact such a program, but they would have the option to do so.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson reports (MP3 1:31)