Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > February > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USVanity plates for out-of-state schools might be grandfathered, permanently
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Never let it be said that the state Capitol is indifferent to an angry constituency.
After some heated protests from voters who like to use their car tags to advertise their out-of-state college ties, we’ve picked up the first signs of some alterations to H.B. 1165.
We asked Jack Murphy (R-Cumming), chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee about a possible Thursday hearing on the bill, which could bar vanity plates for out-of-state university alumni if neighboring states don’t make it easier for Georgia grads in their territory to do the same.
Murphy said details of the hearing are still being worked out. But he mentioned some changes that the bill’s two sponsors, state Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem) and Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) are contemplating.
Should the bill pass as now written, out-of-state alumni would eventually lose their vanity plates once new ones are required. Johnson and Fleming are contemplating language that would grandfather in current plateholders, permanently.
Murphy acknowledged a heated lobbying effort at work, saying his office had been inundated with phone calls and e-mails.
Comments
By Jack Bear
February 26, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
Yep, One has to wonder why we have water issues, road issues, property tax issues, ethic issues.
You guys under the “Gold Dome” are so worthless. How much time and money is being wasted on this plate issue?
Guidelines were set and followed. Now lets have a new vanity plate.
Neither a “dog” or “gator” fan.
Do not vote for the ones with an (I) next to their name on the ballot or you will get more of the same.
Jack Bear
By JA
February 26, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Though if it comes down to it, maybe we can trade water for the usage of those plates. That sounds like the type of legislation our esteemed senators and representatives would pursue.
By Art
February 26, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this
What a stupid waste of legislative time. This is why we are thought of as rednecks, as we re-enforce it with this action at the gold dome. Shame on the Senate.
By Art
February 26, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
What a stupid waste of legislative time. This is why we are thought of as rednecks, as we re-enforce it with this action at the gold dome. Shame on the Senate.
By Art
February 26, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
What a stupid waste of legislative time. This is why we are thought of as rednecks, as we re-enforce it with this action at the gold dome. Shame on the Senate.
By Angry Georgia Gator
February 26, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
So, the bottom line: the current plate holders are “grand-fathered” until their plates need to be replaced in 4 or 5 years, as all plates must be. When they must be replaced, there are no new alumni plates with which to replace them. So, they win … it just takes 4 or 5 years, not 12 months. That’s not much of a compromise.
And, when all is said and done, the State of Georgia’s treasury will be several million dollars poorer when all is said and done, because there will be no new AU Tiger, CU Tiger, UF Gator, UNC Tarheel, UVa Cavalier, FSU Nole, Va Tech Hokie, Bama Tide or UT Vol tags.
Way to go … all in the name of Georgia purity. Lost millions for the Georgia education fund.
By The Thin Guy
February 26, 2008 7:36 PM | Link to this
This is the most important issue considered since the bill that would have required all restaurants in Georgia to serve genuine sweet ice tea. I would love to spend $ 50 bucks to have genuine Columbia School of Broadcasting license plates. Or Shorty’s Barber College. Guys, if you can’t do any better than this, just adjourn, go home, and eat a possum.
By Disbelieving Wreck
February 26, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this
Make no mistake about this latest resolution … this is all about the Mutts vs the Gators. The UGA disciples in the state House could care less about Auburn tags, Clemson tags, Florida State tags, or anything else. All they care about is the fact that a smallish number of Florida fans are able to get Gator tags. And to prevent that from happening they are willing to make fans of ALL out of state colleges give up their license plates. That’s right … if you are a fan of ANY school outside of the state boundaries, you may lose your tag if your school’s home state doesn’t allow UGA tags be created and registered there. And alumni clubs trying to get approval and support for new tags will suffer as well.
By Skram30082
February 26, 2008 10:29 PM | Link to this
I agree that this is a ridiculous waste of time. There are approximately 10,000 Auburn tags, and the contribution to the state treasury over the first three years for all of those Auburn tags is $1 million. I swear, the fact that the Georgia legislature will so easily give up $1 million has to be a punch line to a lame Jeff Foxworthy joke…like, what’s the easiest way to get the redneck government to give up a million bucks? Turn in your out-of-state college tag.
Instead of prohibiting these tags, the state should be allowing any and all out-state-college alumni groups to sponsor a tag. It’s a voluntary tax, and one that each of the purchasers of these tags is happy to pay.