Specialty License Plate 'train' Bill Derails as Blue Angels Soar - michael towner

HB 505, entitled: “Transportation Credentials”, sponsored by Jamie Grant, R-Tampa (as well as Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, Melony Bell, R-Fort Meade, Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, Delores Hogan Johnson, D-Fort Pierce, Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, and Jayer Williamson, R-Pace as well as the State Affairs Committee, Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee and the Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee); and SB 1104, entitled "License Plates" sponsored by Aaron Bran, R-Jacksonville and Doug Broxson R-Pensacola (as well as the Infrastructure and Security Committee), designated the 'train' bills for all things specialty license plate, both came to a screeching halt, despite having more than 90 registered lobbyists pushing the bills.

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​The 'Blue Angels' specialty license plate managed to jump off the train and soar above onto SB 620, after the bill had passed all of its committees, sponsored by Doug Broxson, R-Pensacola (and the Rules and Military and Veterans Affairs and Space Committees). The Blue Angels is the first specialty license plate to be approved in Florida for many, many years and not for want of trying.
​The 2018 license plate bill in the House (HB 505) was once again sponsored by James ‘JW’ Grant, R- Tampa, a 36 year old entrepreneur who attended Auburn University and Stetson College of Law. He is a member of Ducks Unlimited, Tampa Bay 100 Chapter, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Children's Home Sporting Clays Classic, and the National Rifle Association. It has been a number of years now that Rep Grant has took the helm to lead the charge for new specialty plate rules and new specialty plates and failed. Among the over 30 proposed license plates that were contained in HB 505 and SB 1104 were plates that have been trying to gain legislative approval for over five years. Lobbyists for Orlando City Soccer Club, Coastal
Conservation Association, Lauren's Kids, the Independent Colleges & Universities, Moffitt Cancer Center, Rotary's Camps, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic, Florida Off Road Foundation, Donate Life, American Legion, Veteran's of Foreign Wars, Ducks Unlimited, Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, Florida Beekeepers Research Foundation, Dan Marino Foundation, Inc., New College Foundation, Broward County, Florida Municipal Electric Association, Florida Tax Collectors, Inc. and numerous tech companies all lined up on either side of the bill with conflicting opinions on language, as well as the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles own paid lobbyist, Kevin Jacobs.
In 2008, a year when 4 more specialty plates were approved, (Florida Tennis, Lighthouse Association, In God We Trust and Horse Country) the Florida Legislature imposed a moratorium on the creation of new plates, which was extended during the 2014 Legislative Session to July 1, 2016. This bill also revised the requirements for requesting the approval of a specialty license plate by replacing the scientific sample survey of 30,000 Florida motor vehicle owners and an application fee of $60,000.00 with a pre-sale voucher, requiring the pre-sale of 1,000 vouchers at $30.00, after legislative approval.
During the moratorium, the Legislature proceeded to create 17 more specialty license plates, 15 of which were able to complete the pre-sell process.
The last 4 plates to be created by the legislature became effective on 10/1/2014: Fallen Law Enforcement Officers, Florida Sheriff's Association, Kaiser University and Moffitt Cancer Center. 
In 2018 there were a total of 122 specialty license plates. Fallen Law Enforcement Officers (ranked 52) sold 9,414, Florida Sheriff's Association (ranked 68) sold 5,356, Moffitt Cancer Center (ranked 103) sold 1,374 and Kaiser University (ranked 116) sold 276. 
1,561,215 specialty license plates were sold in 2018 - compared to 1,521,472 in 2017.
American Red Cross, Clearwater Christian College, Donate Organs, Pass it On, Hispanic Achievers and St. John's River specialty license plates have been de-listed for lack of sales in 2015/2016. Support Soccer has been de-listed in 2018 due to the sponsoring charity dissolving. Protect Wild Dolphins, Protect Florida Whales, Save our Seas and Aquaculture are now managed by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, Inc., a direct support organization (DSO) of Florida Atlantic University.

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