apache 2.0.46/mod_rewrite look ahead

[merrioc]

issue:
I rescently upgraded from 2.0.40 to .46 and now a rewrite rule isn't working like it use to.

# if the user is on the list of banned users RewriteCond ${BannedUsers:%{LA-U:REMOTE_USER}} .$
RewriteRule .* [popupville.com...]

#known bad user names
RewriteCond %{REMOTE_USER} ^merrioc
RewriteRule .* [popupville.com...]

these are 2 methods I have used in the past. rescently I chagne servers, the first method didn't work but the second did. then we updated to .46 and now niether work and no one seems to understand why. Banned users is set in the httpd.conf and the apache process has the ability to write to it, but it doesn't seem to be.

RewriteRule .* [popupville.com...]