Senator Seeks House Vote On Red-Light Cameras

Bills amended in the Senate go directly to the floor of the House, where Howell either allows a vote or rules that the changes are not germane to the original measure. If he does the latter, the entire measure dies for the year.

"This is kind of a shot across their bow," Stolle said. "It's absurd. We have documented evidence that [cameras] reduce violations."

Stolle said he believes the cameras are germane to McEachin's bill and invited the speaker to forestall his assault on other measures by allowing that bill to move forward. Stolle threatened to keep adding the program to bills if Howell does not allow a vote.

"I think they ought to get as many opportunities to vote on this as they can," he said.

Howell said that he has not yet reviewed Stolle's action and that he will look closely at any such moves before making any assessment.

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said Stolle's parliamentary exercise amounts to "playing games."

Del. Clarke N. Hogan (R-Charlotte) said he was confident that the maneuvers would not succeed. Hogan said the cameras have not been proved to work and sometimes result in car owners getting tickets for times when they were not driving.

"We don't want to extend or expand that kind of Big Brotherness," Hogan said.

Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), ordinarily a supporter of the camera program, decried any attempt to tack it onto the House's bill on reckless drivers.

"That seems to me to be a little out of order, where you end up holding up transportation funding because you want photo red light," said Albo, sponsor of the bill.

If Stolle's machinations are unsuccessful, the cameras are unlikely to be reinstalled this year. The Senate passed a similar bill 30 to 9, but it has been assigned to be heard by the same committee that killed the idea in the House.

Staff writer Chris L. Jenkins contributed to this report.