SALEM (AP) - Seven months after it took effect, some 50 legislators are on board to repeal a law that restricts speeds at marked school crossings to 20 mph at all times.

There's even a move afoot to refund fines paid by those ticketed under the law.

The law won near unanimous approval in the last legislative session, and the state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new signs.

"It was a heartfelt mistake," said Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, who voted for it and is the main sponsor of House Bill 2365, which would repeal it.

"We don't try and be stupid. We thought it would have given safety for children."

She and others said constituents made their views known.

"I probably knocked on 10,000 doors during the last campaign and all people wanted to talk about was the school-zone speed limit," said Rep. Billy Dalto, R-Salem.

The new bill calls for a 20 mph limit in school zones only when children are present" at crosswalks or when a flashing light indicates children may be arriving or leaving.

The old law imposed the limit 24 hours a day, every day.

There are exceptions, but they are confusing.

When the speed limit is 30 mph or lower around schools, the school speed limit is 20 mph at all times. When the speed limit is 35 mph or faster, the school speed is 20 mph during specific times listed on signs for that school.

"You never know what to expect," Harry W. Wilson said.

The Aloha retiree drives a hospital van for senior citizens and has eight school zones with different rules within 10 miles of his house.

Rep. Jeff Kropf, R-Sublimity, said he plans to introduce a bill to refund fines paid under the current law or will try to amend HB2365.

"When we pass laws, we ought to impact people's lives positively," Kropf said. "This has not been a positive impact."

His staff is trying to figure out how much it would cost to refund the tickets, which range from $94 to $672.

No one yet knows how many tickets were issued.

"It's going to create a bit of heartburn for cities and counties who have processed tickets," Kropf said.

Governments would have to pay to replace the new signs if the law is repealed.

"It's frustrating to have these mixed messages and changes to the law," said Mark Lear, traffic investigations manager for Portland's Office of Transportation.

It cost Portland about $100,000 to install 5,000 school-zone signs last summer, and Lear figures it will cost another $25,000 to go back.

Troy Costales, manager of the Oregon Department of Transportation's transportation safety division, said his agency introduced the current law in 2003 to better define "when children are present" but that the final product was a confusing mess.

"I took one look at it, and it didn't make sense," said Rep. Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, one of only three legislators who voted against the original law. "There were different rules for different places."