With thousands of Illinois drivers sporting specialty license plates that back a variety of causes, lawmakers are pushing to get even more plates on the road this spring.

Groups ranging from rescue diving teams and Air Force veterans to corporations could see legislators approve placards for their causes.

However, while some cash-strapped organizations use fees from the plates to fund essential service programs, others don’t have enough support for the state to even get them on the roads. And some critics argue law enforcement has too difficult a time reading and telling apart all the special plates already on the roads.

A sampling of plates

The plates are a popular item on lawmakers’ agendas this year with a total of 12 bills filed — six in the House and six in the Senate.

Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, wants to authorize plates for soil and water conservation districts and St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.

Rose said Butch Fisher of the Douglas County Soil and Water Conservation District prompted the first proposal.

“Basically, the state hasn’t paid them, so they’re trying to find ways to keep going,” he said.

Fisher said conservation districts have little money to work with, especially after a statewide grant program was nixed several years ago.

“It seems like every year we have to beg for money,” he said.

Rose sponsored a similar measure last year that passed in the House but stalled in the Senate.

Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, wants to issue special license plates for diving rescue teams.

Reis said Effingham County Dive Team Commander Terry Trueblood told him about the financial difficulties rescue divers were facing.

Trueblood said most teams are strapped for money.

“In some cases, you’ve got dive teams operating on $3,000 a year,” he said. “It costs $3,000 to equip one diver alone.”

Trueblood said the money would pay only for essential supplies and training.

“Nobody’s going to Florida on a dive trip with this money,” he said.

Rep. Carole Sente, D-Vernon Hills, is pushing a bill to create the Multiple Sclerosis Assistance license plate.

Chicago Democratic Sen. Mattie Hunter wants to create the Friends of Track and Field license plate.

Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, is backing a bill to provide special license plates for retired Air Force veterans. He said a retired Air Force veteran spoke to him about the numerous military-related plates that already were approved.

“I can’t argue with that,” Risinger said.

And then there’s a measure that would allow corporations to sponsor license plates — they would pay for the plate of a driver who chooses their plate design. Rep. Joe Lyons, D-Chicago, pushed the bill on behalf of a constituent looking for ways for the state to bring in more money, but doesn’t expect it to go far in the legislature.

Getting support

Illinois is no stranger to specialty license plates, with lawmakers pushing an array of bills for new plates each session.

A list from Secretary of State Jesse White’s office shows more than 70 specialty plates already approved, not counting separate plates for many state colleges and universities. Some plates are very popular, including environmental plates with more than 44,000 issued and firefighter plates with 30,000-plus.

For fiscal year 2009, that translated to $124,420 spent by motorists on environmental license plates, and $121,672 for firefighters plates, according to the comptroller’s office. (Standard license plate registration is $99. Specialty plates are an additional $40 initially and then $99 plus $27 in renewal fees annually.)

Still, just getting approval from legislators isn’t enough for the special plates to hit the road.

A license plate must receive 1,500 orders before it is produced, according to Henry Haupt, spokesman for the secretary of state’s office. The exceptions are plates for military awards, which do not require a minimum order.

The Knights of Columbus fell victim to a lack of support after its plate was approved several years ago. Candace Wanzo, special plates administrator for the secretary of state’s office, said the office received only 28 requests.

Knights of Columbus State Deputy Jim Bednar said the minimum requirement should be cut to 250 orders.

The Illinois DARE program for drug education also has not seen its special plates produced because of a lack of orders. DARE Officers Association President Mark Siegel said the effort lost steam because officers are rotated every few years.

“Sometimes projects get shuffled around,” he said, “and the best of intentions kind of get forgotten about.”

Fisher thinks the support will be there for the proposed soil district plates, as does Trueblood for the diving plates. It may take time to get 1,500 orders, Trueblood said, but he believes the diving community statewide would be supportive.

“We’re looking to tap into that market,” he said. “We felt like the plate would be something that people would be interested in buying.”

Mixed reviews

Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, is a long-time opponent of specialty plates. He votes “no” on all new specialty plates bills, arguing that law enforcement officers can’t distinguish between the dozens of plates that are issued.

During a traffic stop, he said, officers must look up the plate and call the dispatcher who enters a code for the specific plate. If even one digit is off, officers could receive the wrong information.

Rutherford points to such an example from Florida, where police mistook a couple for a well-known gang member during a routine traffic stop, because there was confusion over the design and numbering of their specialty plate.

Limey Nargelenas with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police said the chiefs initially were against specialty plates when lawmakers first approved them, back in the mid-1990s.

That changed once the secretary of state allowed officers to review the plates before being released. They check plates for readability and suggest changes before a design is finalized, Nargelenas said. Now, there even is a police memorial license plate.

Illinois State Police spokesman Scott Compton said his agency has not taken a position on specialty plates.

“There are numerous specialty plates in Illinois, and our officers become accustomed to them,” he said. “It has not caused an issue.”

Trueblood, who acknowledged the state has enough specialty plates, argued that for his cause — rescue divers — this was the “least intrusive” way to get money without taxing residents.

And Rose, whose bill also pushes plates to benefit St. Jude’s, believes any concerns about the state having too many specialty plates would be “outweighed by the good” of supporting further child cancer research at the hospital.

Other ideas

Some lawmakers think specialty plates could go a different direction.

Rose said officials at the secretary of state’s office balked at having organizations buy stickers to put on existing plates, saying that would require major effort in replating vehicles already out there.

Risinger agreed. “You have a lot of different groups that have had their specialty plates for a long time,” Risinger said. “They don’t want to go to a sticker from what they have.”

Risinger suggested requiring one regular license plate on each vehicle’s rear and allowing specialty plates on the front only.

“If the majority of other states can get by with one license plate,” he said, “I don’t understand why we can’t.”

John Guidroz can be reached at 782-6882. Matt Hopf can be reached at 782-3095.

Source [SJ R]