COLUMBUS, Ohio — A virtual ban on traffic cameras in Ohio appears to have the votes needed to pass the legislature this fall, according to lawmakers on both sides of the issue.

However, legislative action over the use of the cameras will depend on what the Ohio Supreme Court does with lawsuits challenging how motorists can appeal camera tickets.

When the Ohio General Assembly reconvenes after the November elections, lawmakers said they'll likely pass a bill that would essentially ban traffic cameras by requiring an officer to be on scene to issue tickets for speeding or running a red light.

Opponents have called the proposal a thinly veiled attempt to ban traffic cameras in the state, as it would require police departments to spend millions of dollars that they don't have to staff the cameras.

The legislation mirrors a bill vetoed in early 2007 by then-Gov. Bob Taft, just before he left office.

Sen. Bill Seitz, the Cincinnati Republican sponsoring the legislation, said a "clear majority" of senators support the proposal. The bill's chances also seem good in the Ohio House, which passed a more severe camera ban last year.

"The question is not what are we going to do," Seitz said in an interview. "The question is, when are we going to do it?"

Camera supporters have backed an alternative bill by Sen. Kevin Bacon, a Columbus-area Republican, that would set up a series of statewide regulations designed to prevent local governments from abusing the technology.

However, Bacon said in an interview that Seitz's bill currently has the votes to pass both the House and Senate.

"I guess we'll have to see how it turns out in the fall," Bacon said.

The debate over the cameras has pitted law enforcement officials, local government figures, and camera company lobbyists, who say the devices make roads safer, against civil-rights advocates who believe such monitoring is intrusive and only serves as a money-maker for cash-strapped municipalities.

Meanwhile, both sides are keeping a close eye on the Ohio Supreme Court, which is hearing two cases challenging the appeals process for camera tickets.

The justices will hear oral arguments next week in one of the lawsuits, which claims Toledo unconstitutionally handles appeals through a police department hearing officer instead of a municipal court.

A similar lawsuit against the city of Cleveland has also been appealed to the Supreme Court.