Omnibus Specialty Tag Bill Clears House

Legislation dealing with a wide range of specialty license tags was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives today.

House Bill 3353, by state Rep. Randy Terrill, creates and
modifies several state specialty car tags. The provisions of the bill were created by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

"For efficiency reasons, we took several individual specialty tag bills and rolled them into one measure," said Terrill, a Moore Republican who chairs the House Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee.

"After an exhaustive examination, we felt these were
the best proposals submitted this year and worthy of
further consideration. I appreciate the hard work and
cooperation of all the legislators involved."

The legislation creates several new specialty tags,
including the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom Veteran License Plates that would
be available to any honorably discharged or current
member of the United States Armed Forces who served
in those conflicts.

That provision was authored by state Reps. Randy
McDaniel (R-Edmond), John Auffet (D-Stilwell) and
Wallace Collins (a Norman Democrat whose district
includes the Veterans Center).

"We should support and encourage all the brave young
men and women who make great sacrifices to serve
our country overseas during a time of war," McDaniel
said.

"All American soldiers who put themselves in harm's
way deserve recognition for their sacrifice and service."

McDaniel, who served in the Oklahoma Army National
Guard for 11 years, noted the state already issues
special military tags for veterans of other wars.

House Bill 3353 also creates the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation License Plate. The bill requires
that $20 of the $35 generated from license fees for
each diabetes plate be deposited in the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation License Plate
Revolving Fund to pay for treatment research efforts.

State Rep. Lucky Lamons, a Tulsa Democrat and
former police officer, is author of the diabetes plate
provision as well as language creating a Tulsa Police
Department Memorial License Plate. The bill requires
that $20 of the tag fee for the police plate be deposited
in the Tulsa Police Department Memorial License Plate
Revolving Fund.

A provision authored by state Rep. Eric Proctor would
create In God We Trust License Plates that will be
designed in consultation with the Oklahoma Family
Policy Council.

"Our nation was founded on the principles of
religious freedom and this plate will give
Oklahomans the opportunity to acknowledge
the historical foundations of our country,"
said Proctor, D-Tulsa.

A provision authored by Terrill will create a
Department of Corrections License Plate that
earmarks $20 from each plate fee for the
Oklahoma Correctional Employees Memorial
Foundation.

"Our corrections employees endure a harsh and often
dangerous work environment for relatively little pay,"
Terrill said. "It is appropriate that the state create a
funding mechanism to memorialize DOC employees
who have been injured or killed in the line of duty."

State Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, authored a
provision creating an Armed Forces Veterans
Motorcycle License Plate. The plates will be issued
to any current member or honorably discharged
member of the United States Armed Forces.

Duncan is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National
Guard and Battalion Commander of the 2/189th
Regiment, a Regional Training Institute in Oklahoma
City.

In addition to creating new license plates, House Bill
3353 also amends law affecting several existing specialty plates.

For example, the bill abolishes the Northern Cherokee
Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory License Plate.

"The Northern Cherokee Nation plate was creating a
lot of confusion because its design is similar to
legitimate tribal tags and because there is no official
federally recognized tribe by that name," said state
Rep. Ben Sherrer, D-Pryor Creek. "It was time to get
rid of it."

The bill also restricts the issuance of Civil Emergency
Management License Plates to only individuals
providing proof of their involvement in the state civil
emergency management system.

"There have been cases in recent years where people
have impersonated emergency responders at the scene
of a tragedy," said state Rep. Ken Luttrell, a Ponca City
Democrat who authored that provision.

"That's unacceptable and we hope to reduce that
activity by ensuring only true emergency responders
can obtain one of these specialty plates."

House Bill 3353 also expands the issuance of Gold
Star License Plates to include the spouses of members
of the United States Armed Forces killed during a war.
State Rep. George Faught, a Muskogee Republican who
authored that provision, noted that the Gold Star plate
is currently issued only to parents of a soldier killed in
action.

Another provision authored by state Rep. Jerry
Shoemake, D-Morris, would allow university police
officers to obtain Police Officer License Plates.

House Bill 3353 passed the Oklahoma House of
Representatives today and now proceeds to the state
Senate.