BACK TO RIDING DIRTY...WELL FOR SOME OF YOU.

Texas lawmakers are looking to get rid of red light cameras across the state. It's part of a plan that would make big changes to the transportation department. This all happened here late last night: an overhaul of TxDOT that would change its leadership from an appointed board to one person elected by the people. The house has adopted an amendment that would essentially ban red light cameras in Texas. Here in Austin, cameras intended to catch red light runners started taking pictures just under a year ago, over the Memorial Day Weekend. They're at nine intersections around town, with the most recent ones going operational at the end of March. The city council approved the red light cameras to cut down on crashes at these intersections. Austin police said there were more than 13-hundred crashes related to red light running in 2007, and at least nine deaths in recent years. Now, state law may be take down those red light cameras. An amendment was attached to a transportation bill late last night that would ban the state or local governments from putting cameras at intersections to catch traffic violations. Contracts for current red light cameras could not be renewed after the measure goes into effect.
What's not clear yet is if all this will actually become law. Just before midnight, debate in the house cut off without a vote, with lawmakers possibly taking it back up early this morning.