HONOLULU -- Some powerful people Tuesday defended tough penalties for speeders caught with the state's secret traffic cameras.

They disagree with state plans to simplify the system and make photo citations invisible on driver’s records.

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For now the unmarked photo-enforcement vans will only issue warnings but citations with hefty fines and long-term damage to driving records and insurance rates are coming soon.

The legislator who helped write the photo enforcement law is glad the penalties are tough.

"You have to face the consequences and that is what is going to stop people from speeding," Sen. Cal Kawamoto.

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But the governor and state Department of Transportation have decided that the law should be changed so photo citations don't go on people’s driving records. Like parking tickets, the photo citations would be written only to the owners of the cars, with no impact on insurance.

State transportation officials said even under the best conditions, cameras inside these traffic enforcement vans may not take recognizable pictures of the drivers. That would make it likely that the drivers will claim someone else was in control of the car when it was photographed speeding.

The officials said it would be a nightmare to track down all of the photos.

"Who you give this weapon to or loan this weapon to is your responsibility. You have to account for it," Kawamoto said.

Kawamoto said he will fight the transportation department’s effort to change the law. So will insurance companies that said speeding records help them set fairer rates.

"If we can't identify who's breaking the law and charge for it then we are going to be charging everybody the same rate. The people who are breaking the law would get a lower premium than they are paying today and the people following the law would get a higher premium," GEICO insurance official Tim Dayton said.

The state said the debate won't delay the program because it wants people to start slowing down and it needs to pay the contractor.