Utah Legislature: Special license plates have backers, critics

SALT LAKE CITY — What do high school rodeo and autism have in common?

License plates.

The Utah Legislature has been considering "special group" license plates for high school rodeo, autism awareness, cancer research and — a long one — "humanitarian service and educational and cultural exchange."

If the Legislature passes each special group plate bill into law, they will be added to dozens of special plates that include amateur radio operators, Boy Scouts of America, "Children's Issues," "Clean Fuel — Clean Air," firefighters, "Honoring Heroes," "No More Homeless Pets," "Share the Road," soil conservation, "Utah Housing Opportunity," veterans, wildlife and Zion National Park.

Not to mention plates for the state's public and private colleges and universities.

Monday at the House Transportation Committee, where a bill for the cancer research plate passed with a favorable recommendation, supporters of the bill touted the benefits.

With a mandatory $35 donation to a state account for cancer research with each new plate, thousands of dollars could be generated, said Michael Siler of the American Cancer Society.

"During the past 10 years, federal funding for cancer research has been flat or has decreased somewhat," he said. "During the past two years, funding raised for cancer research by the American Cancer Society and other organizations has been reduced."

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Brad Dee, R-Ogden, said the visibility that could come from a license plate is even more important.

"What I'm looking for more than anything is cancer awareness," Dee said. "We all wear our pink ribbons. We all have our nice ties that have the pink tie on it. We even wear funny buttons that people provide to us for cancer. But it's a serious thing."

But special plates are a pain for the Utah State Tax Commission, which is in charge of sending them to motor vehicle offices, storing them and logging who buys them. Rod Morelli, executive director of the Tax Commission, opposes special plates. There are about $20,000 in initial costs to start a special plate. In the case of the cancer awareness bill, private money is going to foot those costs. But Morelli says the complications with so many plates cost his department thousands, which aren't necessarily considered when the Legislature passes a special plate bill.