hb 1135 - the specialty license plate 'train' bill - PASSES second LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE- michael towner

Rep J.W. Grant (R-Tampa)

​HB 1135, sponsored by, Rep J.W. Grant (R-Tampa), which was filed on 1/7/20, passed its first committee stop (Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee 13Y 2N) and second stop, in the Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee (10Y 0N)on 1/28/20. The Senate companion bill, SB 412 is on the agenda for Infrastructure and Security on February 3, 2020 at 4.00pm. SB 108 (Florida State Beekeepers Association specialty license plate), SB 314 (Toastmasters), SB 322 (Gopher Tortoise), SB 328 (Orlando United), SB 956 (Solar Power) and SB 1454 (Highwaymen) are all on the same agenda.  HB 1135 is now in State Affairs.

In the Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee hearing, a table amendment filed by Rep Geri Thompson (D-Orlando) to include a further 8 specialty license plates for African-American fraternities and sororities failed to pass. A second attempt to group those plates under a Divine Nine amendment failed in the subsequent committee stop.

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Michael Dobson

​Michael Dobson, President/CEO and Executive Director of The Dream Foundation, Inc. waived in opposition to the proposed amendments to the distribution of funds for the Live the Dream specialty license plate, which reduces the administration, promotion and marketing to 5 percent and increases to 60% the distribution of funds to the sickle cell organizations that are Florida members of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.; and 30% to the Miami-based Chapman Partnership, Inc. The Florida chapter of the March of Dimes and the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions are deleted as beneficiaries and up to 5% may be distributed by the DHSMV to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., based in Atlanta, as a royalty for the use of the image on the license plate. In the second committee, Mr Dobson testified and objected to the 5% cap on marketing and Administration and argued for the funds to be distributed for a One Church One Child program and for an in-house program that centers around Amendment 4, Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative. Amendment 4 passed in 2018 after support from Floridians for a Fair Democracy raised $25.3 million and spent $21.5 million. Before this, Florida was one of four states (Iowa, Kentucky and Virginia) where convicted felons do not regain the right to vote, until and unless a state officer or board restores an individual's voting rights. Approval of Amendment 4 meant that Florida joins 19 other states that restore the right to vote after prison time, parole, and probation are completed.  Representatives Joseph Geller (D-Dania Beach) and Bobby DuBose (D-Fort Lauderdale) urged Rep Grant to work with Dobson to discuss the inclusion of those programs as beneficiaries of the Live the Dream specialty license plate.

​In the second Committee, bill sponsor Grant suggested that some license plates' marketing provisions were little more than a 'slush fund' for lobbyists, who had ongoing contracts. He suggested that all plates should be capped at 10% to avoid this. He said others had no marketing funds and was asking to limit the Live the Dream plate to 5%.

For the In God We Trust specialty license plate, the bill revises the distribution of the annual use fees to allow the foundation to use up to 10 percent of the proceeds to offset marketing, administration, and promotion, and the remainder of the proceeds to address the needs of the military community and the public safety community; provide educational grants and scholarships to foster self-reliance and stability in Florida’s children; and provide education in public and private schools regarding the historical significance of religion in American and Florida history. Rep Adam Hattersley (D-Riverview) questioned the proposed changes and the bill sponsor, Rep J.W. Grant (R-Tampa) stated that one of the reasons was to allow the organization to ship feminine products to female service members, which was not allowed under the existing version. Susan Goldstein appeared on behalf of the In God We Trust Foundation and waived in support.

The proposed Auburn University specialty plate was again the subject of discussion and Rep Grant, an Auburn alumni, stated that it is not unusual to have an out of state college license plate since there were "many existing tags that currently fund out of state organizations." But no examples were given.

Rep Grant, an Auburn graduate, has introduced a version of this year’s bill every year since 2017, after a previous failure in another year to amend another bill to create the plate. Twice he convinced the House to approve the measure only to see it die in the Senate.

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