Untitled Document

License family welcomes private institutions

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne signed a new specialty license plate bill into law during a ceremony at Albertson College of Idaho in Caldwell Thursday (March 17). It was one of four bills involving license plates introduced into the Idaho legislature this session.

The new law expands Idaho’s specialty license plate program to include private schools – Albertson College, Northwest Nazarene University and Brigham Young University-Idaho. Previously, only public colleges and universities were noted with specialty plates.

The bill was sponsored by Albertson graduate and former Kempthorne staff member, Sen. John McGee.

A bill to extend the special Capitol restoration plates has passed the Senate and has been introduced into the House. This bill would allow individuals to continue to purchase the Capitol restorations plates until Dec. 31, 2012. The extension was proposed because restoration of the capitol will take longer than initially expected.

More than 1,500 people per year buy the Capitol plates, generating more than $30,000 in dedicated funds that can be used for Capitol building repairs.

The Basque Heritage License Plate passed both Legislative chambers for inclusion in the specialty plate program.

Programming costs for the Basque plate will be paid by a private donor. The colleges will pick up the programming costs for their plates. There are no new programming costs for the Capitol plate, which was created in 2001.

House Bill 101 proposes to prevent any further expansion of the specialty license plate program. It passed the House on a 36-32 vote and has been introduced into committee in the Senate.

Photo caption: Gov. Dirk Kempthorne signs new license plate legislation for private colleges and universities this week at Albertson College of Idaho. Sen. John McGee watches from back-right.