After a House committee killed the bill reauthorizing their use, the Virginia Senate is trying a backdoor reauthorization of "photo red" cameras reports WAVY-TV news.

Four days after a House of Delegates committee killed local pilot programs that use cameras to catch red light runners, the Virginia Senate revived them as a floor amendment to related legislation.

After adopting the amendment, the Senate voted 29-9 to pass the bill. The measure now goes directly to the House floor, bypassing the committee that had refused to lift the July 1 expiration date for the programs.

We should have known better than to expect tax and spend politicians to let one of their cash cows die so easily. If the real goal were traffic safety, increasing the yellow light is the easiest and most effective method. Instead, some localities across the nation have been caught shortening the yellow to maximize revenue.

The American Automobile Association (AAA), which originally supported the cameras, has switched positions in recent years after research suggested that cameras actually cause more accidents due to people slamming on their brakes unnecessarily.