House revives, amends bill to add accountability for specialty license plates

The House has revived and amended - twice - a Senate-passed bill that sought to limit future specialty license plates to government purposes; the bill, which doesn’t do that any more, instead now requires several accountability measures for those who sponsor special license plates. This afternoon, the amended bill, SB 1243aa, passed the House on a 51-16 vote; it now returns to the Senate for concurrence in the House amendments.

Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, spoke out against the bill, saying, “It’s too exclusive of a process, (it) sets up a lot of red tape.” Rep. Julie Ellsworth, R-Boise, the measure’s House sponsor, responded, “We have tried to … incorporate those sideboards that will make specialty license plates still possible but make (sponsors) … more accountable.” She noted that other states are facing lawsuits over specialty plates they’ve authorized.