Published: June 02, 2008 12:03 am            

Native America getting a new look

OKLAHOMA CITY — Native America is getting a new look.

Well, not exactly. But the “Native America” logo that has adorned Oklahoma license plates for the past 15 years will be overhauled thanks to legislation awaiting Gov. Brad Henry’s signature that will reissue license plates to owners of an estimated 3.1 million vehicles registered in the state.

The reissuance plan, scheduled to begin Jan. 1, will mark the first time in almost 16 years that the state has issued redesigned license plates and the first time it has done a statewide reissue of all plates, one of only 16 states that have not done a complete license plate reissuance.

The new license plates will boost law enforcement efforts to rid roadways of deteriorated and unreadable plates, identify motorists with delinquent license tag fees and present a new image for the state.

“License plates are very visible aspects to any vehicle. They become rolling billboards if you will,” said state Tourism Director Hardy Watkins.

Best of all, the new license plates will cost motorists nothing. The program’s $6 million cost will be paid by the estimated $6.2 million increase in motor vehicle collections from motorists with expired tag fees.

The state expects to collect another $2.1 million from motorists who pay a $15 fee to reserve their old license plate number.

“It’s just a win, win, win all the way around,” said Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond, chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and author of the license plate reissuance measure.

Miller said the bill did not meet serious opposition before it was overwhelmingly passed by the House and Senate.

“The worst they can say is you have to change two screws,” he said.

A spokesman for the governor, communications director Paul Sund, said Henry is likely to sign the bill although it still must pass the scrutiny of attorneys who screen legislation for legal defects and other flaws.

State tourism officials are close to picking the final design for Oklahoma’s new license plate — one that will retain the state mantra “Native America” and feature the image of American Indian artist Allan Houser’s striking bronze statue “Sacred Rain Arrow” at Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum.

“I think it’s a real boon for Tulsa. People are going to go: ’What is that? Where is that?”’ said Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, who carried the license plate legislation in the Senate.

“It’s a secondary benefit that we would be able to have a new image for our state,” Jolley said.

Jolley said the reissuance project emerged from Oklahoma’s 2007 centennial celebration and the License Plate Redesign Task Force that met last year to find a new design for Oklahoma license plates.

He said there were initially 40 or 50 proposals for license plate designs in various categories, including several that featured The Guardian, the massive bronze statue that sits atop the Capitol dome, eight featuring American Indian art, six featuring the Sacred Rain Arrow statue and others with various cowboy images of the west.

Tourism officials, who are responsible for choosing a design, have narrowed the choices to three and all feature the Sacred Rain Arrow statue.

“That was clearly the choice of the public,” Watkins said. “It’s such an iconic piece. It speaks to the very rich Native American heritage that we have here.

“It’s a very positive, very strong, very optimistic interpretation. We like it because it’s consistent with the brand Oklahoma enjoys,” he said.

Officials are working with license plate manufacturers to determine design options and how they translate to an actual license plate. Watkins said the design must be finalized within 30 days to make sure the project remains on schedule.

Miller said any proposed license plate design must receive the approval of state public safety authorities, who stand to benefit most from the reissuance plan.

“We have a lot of plates on the road that are just too old. You can’t read them,” Miller said.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Kevin Ward said existing state license plates were manufactured with a reflective film on the surface to make them easier for law enforcement and witnesses to record the license plate numbers of vehicles involved in a crime or accident. But the film begins to break down after five years.

“They actually develop these cracks,” Ward said. “The degradation has just made it so difficult to read.”

While the measure was being debated in the Legislature, lawmakers were shown photographs of old license plates — some dating back decades — that are still on cars and trucks in the state that have deteriorated and were difficult to read.

License plates will be reissued beginning Jan. 1 when motorists pay their annual tag fee. Instead of getting just an updated sticker for their old license plates, motorists will also receive a new license plate.

Paula Ross, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Tax Commission, said there is no reliable estimate on the number of vehicles with delinquent tags. Motorists more than 30 days overdue in paying the tag fee are penalized 25 cents a day until the penalty reaches a maximum cap of $25.

        

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