The Missouri House approved an amendment that would require communities with red light enforcement still/video camera systems to put the revenue from their tickets into schools. The City of Springfield says, if that passes, it would effectively shut down the systems here.

“Right now for this fiscal year, it'd be about a $250,000 hit,” said city attorney Dan Wichmer.

That's the money the city would lose if this amendment survives an unpredictable conference committee. A lawmaker from St. Louis who feels the red light cameras in his city are geared towards profit sponsored the amendment.

Springfield's cameras are leased on a flat rate, and police officers decide which tickets to issue, not the company, so the city contends there's no incentive for the company to capture fines.

All of the lawmakers from Greene County voted for the amendment but now some doubt it will survive.

"I don't know if it's as big a problem as the city thinks it is. There's a lot of junk in this bill, and I don't think it'll pass,” Rep. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, said in a telephone interview.

"It's one of those things that you want to help your schools. But I'd be very surprised if it's there at the end of the day,” Rep. Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, said in another phone interview.

Springfield leaders hope they’re right because this is one late-session amendment that the city can’t afford.

“We'd have to talk to the company about it; we don't think there'd be an ability to continue with the contract,” said Wichmer.

Also included in this amendment is a provision to block a person who doesn't have a photograph on his driver's license for religious reasons from getting a red light enforcement system ticket. Dixon says the list of amendments on this bill is long and, at the end of the session, that will make it even tougher to pass.

The conference committee for this bill likely will meet Wednesday or Thursday.