New license plates on the way

[bchris02]

http://newsok.com/article/5498581

It looks like everyone is going to have to replace their license plate next year. I wonder if the design is going to change or if they will just take the current design and make it more reflective?

[Paseofreak]

This crap is ridiculous. Making up taxes pure bulls**t!

[kevinpate]

It's only a tax to the Legislature if the majority thinks it will impact election coffers.
1.50 on ciggies is a tax.
4.00 on a new shiny license plate (after covering costs) is a fee, not a tax.

Makes perfect sense ... to some.

[stile99]

http://newsok.com/article/5498581

It looks like everyone is going to have to replace their license plate next year.

House Bill 3208, which passed 52-45, must still be approved by the Senate and governor before it could become law.

Considering how narrowly it passed, I don't consider it a fait accompli at this point.

That said, it's 39 Republicans vs 9 Democrats, and we know the governor will sign whatever her masters tell her to sign, so...

[Bill Robertson]

And if this does pass I'll be paying $12 for plates that will be in my trunks. That blows!

[MagzOK]

Lose the guardian with the bow and arrow. I'd like to go back to the old school sun and Oklahoma is OK logo. Or I'd love an all white with black letters and numerals -- old school. But how about lose the little registration decals on the back of the plates and give us one to put on the inside of the windshield down low on the driver side, just like Texas. It'd minimize theft of those stickers.

[Bullbear]

Lose the guardian with the bow and arrow. I'd like to go back to the old school sun and Oklahoma is OK logo. Or I'd love an all white with black letters and numerals -- old school. But how about lose the little registration decals on the back of the plates and give us one to put on the inside of the windshield down low on the driver side, just like Texas. It'd minimize theft of those stickers.

Is sticker theft really still a thing? I mean with technology now the PD can check to see if you have valid tags without a sticker. I got pulled over for speeding and had not put the new sticker on yet and the police officer said it wasn't that big of a deal that he can see my tags are up to date. seems we could do away with the sticker entirely almost.

[MagzOK]

Is sticker theft really still a thing? I mean with technology now the PD can check to see if you have valid tags without a sticker. I got pulled over for speeding and had not put the new sticker on yet and the police officer said it wasn't that big of a deal that he can see my tags are up to date. seems we could do away with the sticker entirely almost.

Yeah man, I would be fine with that! Just lose the stickers all together if they really aren't needed.

[Plutonic Panda]

I agree about the all white plates. That would be cool. I like the Texas and California plates.

[jerrywall]

So we've got one thread talking about our poor schools, with one of the solutions being new fees to help cover the shortfall, and then we have the reactions in this thread. So a case of folks are ok with new taxes and fees, as long as they're on someone else? And we wonder why no progress gets made.

[stile99]

So a case of folks are ok with new taxes and fees, as long as they're on someone else?

I'll stand up and proudly shout yup. If the energy industry gets to pay less than 1% tax, and I'm paying more, than I am TOTALLY FINE with 'new' taxes and fees being charged to them. Or for that matter, they don't need to be new, just pay the same taxes everyone else pays. We didn't get into this huge hole because *I* didn't pay my taxes.

[jerrywall]

I'll stand up and proudly shout yup. If the energy industry gets to pay less than 1% tax, and I'm paying more, than I am TOTALLY FINE with 'new' taxes and fees being charged to them. Or for that matter, they don't need to be new, just pay the same taxes everyone else pays. We didn't get into this huge hole because *I* didn't pay my taxes.

So since they DON'T pay less than 1% tax, are you now supporting this new fee?

[stile99]

So since they DON'T pay less than 1% tax, are you now supporting this new fee?

That's not what the article Pete posted said, so no.

[jerrywall]

That's not what the article Pete posted said, so no.

It said at one point the tax on new wells was as low as 1%. It also mentioned that was raised to 2%. And it's only for the first few years. Energy companies are not paying under 1% on their revenues, and since they have old and new wells, aren't even paying close to one percent.

[stile99]

You are correct, it is probably more than 1%. I pulled a number out of the air without doing any math, and I apologize for that.

I will be more than happy to become the most ardent supporter of this new tax, even moreso than McCall himself, and all I ask is one thing. Just one small thing.

Numbers are hard to come by it seems, and any numbers I use someone else can come back and say that was yesterday, here's today's, but all the numbers I can find say the tax breaks are worth well north of $500 million (how much is the budget deficit again?). This new tax is supposed to raise $18.5 million, with the state not even getting that full amount. But like I said, I will support it.

All I ask is the energy industry match that amount.

That's my entire point. I understand, and agree with, your frustration that there appears to be a double standard. People want schools funded, but they object to this new tax. It seems a bit disingenuous. But let's be honest with each other. This tax is like asking us to pee in Optima Lake and expect the problem to be solved. It's going to do literally nothing. It is perfectly natural for people to be upset when they watch someone set $500,000,000 on fire and then cry that they're broke. They're going to then be even more upset when that person says "Now I'm broke, so I'm going to mug you".

[jerrywall]

The thing is, all tax incentives are supposed to be analyzed, and must show a net benefit, or else they are discontinued. If that's not happening like it should then it's a whole other problem. But to say that 500 million in tax credits costs us 500 million is extreme oversimplification and ignores secondary revenues.

[Stew]

So if we all replace are tags as to usher in some automation for the cops as to reduce manual enforcement effort can I expect a reduction in full time law enforcement positions. That's something I could certainly get behind.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like the license plates will be changed again. I wouldn’t mind seeing a better design or just an all out white.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/stat...3db063f38.html

[Scott5114]

I think the opposition to this on this forum is not because it's a fee/tax (there is probably some opposition to that in Oklahoma, but it's $4 so most people don't really care), it's that it's questionable whether or not it's necessary. The oldest license plate in use is only 7 years old. Engineer-grade reflective sheeting, which our license plates use, does not degrade that quickly; road signs use the same stuff and they're usually replaced on 10–20 year cycles (though they are now required to upgrade to more expensive but more reflective prismatic sheeting when replaced). There is the issue of people with damaged plates, like people who have bashed them up with trailer hitches and such, but that could be addressed by laws requiring them to be replaced when damaged.

More to the point, this comes not too long after a legislator proposed a bill to require license plates in front and back of the car. This is a requirement that is very heavily pushed by 3M, which maintains a website advocating for the practice. 3M is heavily involved in the manufacture of license plates, producing reflective sheeting and typesetting systems for them. On the consumer side, they also make front license plate brackets and double sided tape to adhere license plates to bumpers. To me, both of these bills being pushed so close to one another makes me wonder if 3M sent a lobbyist down to Oklahoma City.

[onthestrip]

I think the opposition to this on this forum is not because it's a fee/tax (there is probably some opposition to that in Oklahoma, but it's $4 so most people don't really care), it's that it's questionable whether or not it's necessary. The oldest license plate in use is only 7 years old. Engineer-grade reflective sheeting, which our license plates use, does not degrade that quickly; road signs use the same stuff and they're usually replaced on 10–20 year cycles (though they are now required to upgrade to more expensive but more reflective prismatic sheeting when replaced). There is the issue of people with damaged plates, like people who have bashed them up with trailer hitches and such, but that could be addressed by laws requiring them to be replaced when damaged.

More to the point, this comes not too long after a legislator proposed a bill to require license plates in front and back of the car. This is a requirement that is very heavily pushed by 3M, which maintains a website advocating for the practice. 3M is heavily involved in the manufacture of license plates, producing reflective sheeting and typesetting systems for them. On the consumer side, they also make front license plate brackets and double sided tape to adhere license plates to bumpers. To me, both of these bills being pushed so close to one another makes me wonder if 3M sent a lobbyist down to Oklahoma City.

Bingo! Its just a way to raise some money for the state without needing 75% of Reps and Sens to vote on it. Its completely unnecessary and Im not buying the public safety arguments. Because if I got a new plate this year, why would I need another one already? Its just a way to help shore up this giant shortfall without calling it a tax increase.

[ctchandler]

Bingo! Its just a way to raise some money for the state without needing 75% of Reps and Sens to vote on it. Its completely unnecessary and Im not buying the public safety arguments. Because if I got a new plate this year, why would I need another one already? Its just a way to help shore up this giant shortfall without calling it a tax increase.

I have two "FBC" vanity tags and my regular tag has never seen a drop of rain, a snow flake or experienced any weather including the heat of the sun because it is in the pocket on the back of my passenger seat and I'm going to have to replace it. I don't have any suggestions, but maybe they could look at our tags to decide if replacement was necessary. Of course, since this is a revenue issue, they don't care if I have a perfectly spotless tag, they just want the money. And I wonder if I am going to have to pay for three tags for my one car.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Well, 20 percent of the fee will be for the tag and 80 percent will go into the state public safety fund.
C. T.

Oklahoma motorists would be required to purchase new metal license plates next fiscal year at a cost of $5 each under a bill approved Monday by the state House of Representatives.

House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Oklahoma City, ripped Republicans for carrying the bill, calling it a “backdoor” tax increase.

“If you think it’s anything other than a tax, you’re fooling yourselves” Inman said.

Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, defended the bill, calling it a “public safety measure ”

McCall said the reflective material used on license plates wears off over time, making them more difficult for law enforcement officers to read.

McCall said it is also difficult for law enforcement officers to see the small stickers placed on license tags annually when registrations are renewed, which makes it harder for them to identify unregistered vehicles and uninsured motorists.

House Bill 3208, which passed 52-45, must still be approved by the Senate and governor before it could become law.

The state expects to raise about $18.5 million through the sale of new tags, lawmakers said. The bill calls for 20 percent of the money to go into an Oklahoma Tax Commission fund to pay for the new tags, while the remaining 80 percent would go into a State Public Safety Fund to be appropriated by the Legislature.

“That is a tax ” said state Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha. “For this body to be disingenuous — for this body to be dishonest — and call this a fee for the issuance of new tags is something I can’t hold my head up when I go home and say that. This is a tax ”

McCall disagreed, calling it a fee.

Data from 2012 showed that 25.9 percent of Oklahoma motorists were uninsured, he said.

Changing the design on license plates makes it easier to detect if a vehicle is unregistered, he said.

The state Corrections Department would manufacture the new tags, but the design has not yet been determined, he said.

[Scott5114]

I'm not even sure if it would get Oklahoma any revenue. $4 sounds about right for the cost of a license plate. I think I remember reading that the average road sign is about $20 to make or so. Scale that down to the size of a plate, add administrative labor costs, and $4 is ballpark what it would cost. So really the only one that would benefit financially would be 3M.

[ctchandler]

I'm not even sure if it would get Oklahoma any revenue. $4 sounds about right for the cost of a license plate. I think I remember reading that the average road sign is about $20 to make or so. Scale that down to the size of a plate, add administrative labor costs, and $4 is ballpark what it would cost. So really the only one that would benefit financially would be 3M.

Scott,
Actually, there is quite a bit of "revenue", I believe the paper said the tag costs $1.00 and the rest would go into the general revenue pot. I might be wrong on the amount, but I do know that the majority of the cost goes to the general fund. I will search the DOK archives and if I find the article, I will post the information.
C. T.

[Rover]

This is typical hypocracy from the tea partiers. Just call it what it is....a one time tax so they can maintain the lower income tax rate and breaks for their buddies in the oil business. They think the public is stupid and can't tell the difference in a fee or a tax, regardless of what it is called. This is typical. The tea party uses ignorant state representatives to do their bidding.