License plate proposed to raise money to help fight terrorism

Erin Neff

Monday, March 10, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning wants Nevadans to be able to support anti-terrorism efforts with a patriotic license plate.

The United We Stand plate, whose preliminary design was unveiled Monday morning in a committee hearing, would generate money for the state's and local governments' emergency preparedness.

"It is to reflect the public solidarity after the acts of terror that were committed so viciously on Sept. 11, 2001," Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

The plate, which features a bald eagle on the left, the words United We Stand on the bottom and has a waving flag under the numbers, would cost $60 for the first issuance and $30 for renewals. Twenty-five dollars of the initial issuance cost and $20 of the renewal fee would go toward anti-terrorism preparedness.

The measure, which has already cleared the Assembly's Transportation Committee, has residents asking when they can order the plates, she said.

But the Legislature has been mixed on license plate proposals. Some legislators argue the addition of special plates is confusing to law enforcement, and others question whether the fund-raising plates are serving their purpose.

Assemblyman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, expressed concerns Monday about a veterans plate whose fund-raising revenues are not going entirely to veterans services.

That plate, which has raised $291,000 to date, has generated some money for the state's general fund.

Some plates have raised tremendous revenue, such as the $1.8 million generated by the Lake Tahoe plate for the lake's preservation. Others approved by the Legislature have fizzled for a lack of initial support.

The Department of Motor Vehicles does not produce a plate until it has at least 1,000 orders.

The Assembly is considering a measure, Assembly Bill 177, that would examine all of the state's current 22 specialized license plates and the revenue they generate.

The United We Stand plate is headed for an amendment to clarify where the projected revenue would go.