If you're looking to make a new statement with your license plate in Oregon, there's a chance you'll have five new designs and organizations to choose from.
The Oregon House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development heard five proposals for new specialty license plates that could add to more than 30 regional plates already existing to celebrate things like local landmarks to state universities.
Suggestions included plates for the Portland Trail Blazers, Mt. Hood, gray whales, gray wolves (also known as the Wolf OR-7 plate, in reference to Oregon's famous wandering wolf) and breast cancer awareness.
Though the new plates have a little of everything for Oregonians, the proposals still have a ways to go before production.
Oregon Department of Transportation's Amy Joyce said each Legislative session lawmakers can hear up to five proposals for new plates. This year's proposals have to survive possibly another hearing, a committee vote, the legislative process and be signed off by Gov. Kate Brown before they'd ever become reality.
And even if they make it that far, the plates still need to have funding either from the general fund or independently before the Department of Motor Vehicles can begin production.
"On the expense side, five new plates at one time would be a heavy, heavy lift for the agency," Joyce said Monday in reference to administrative costs that come with new plates.
Joyce said the Wine Country and the "Keep Kids Safe" plates came from the 2011 session, but in 2013, no new plates were adopted.
Each of the plates would be sold with add-on fees to benefit the various organizations and some local nonprofits. Joyce said about 10 percent of Oregonians consistently chip in the extra expense for the specialty plates.
Copyright 2015 Oregon Public Broadcasting
