On January 15th the Senate Transportation Committee of the General Assembly met to consider SB 957 - one of the one-license plate bills. The bill's sponsor withdrew the bill. I do not know why. The House version of the one-plate bill HB 1731 is on the docket to be discussed at the January 20th (tomorrow) meeting of the House Transportation Committee. If you wish you may contact members of the committee and ask them to support HB 1731. If you email them be sure to include the bill number in your email. Please send each member one email and do not send a mass email to all members. If passed this measure would save over $2 million the first year and over a million each year after. This is a "green" measure as it would save half the materials used to make plates and stickers. Police officers will be more productive in stopping dangerous motor vehicle violations such as drunk driving, reckless driving, speeding, etc., since their time will not be compromised by a Virginia motorist who simply did not have a front license plate on display. A front license plate restricts the performance of passenger vehicles. Modern cars are no longer being designed with front plates in mind. Installing the mounting brackets that are necessary to hold the plates interfere with the cars' aerodynamics, often get damaged during the
car-washing process and also cause a devaluation of Collectors Edition or other such Limited Edition vehicles when required to drill or otherwise modify the front bumper. Unnecessary damage is sustained from minor bumper-to-bumper collisions, because the front mounting brackets on passenger cars can cause cracks and abrasions to the rear bumpers of the cars that they hit. Members and emails for the House Transportation Committee are below.
Members of the House Transportation Committe and Emails:

Delegate Joe T. May (chairman) DelJMay@house.virginia.gov
Delegate G. Glenn Oder DelGOder@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Christopher B. Saxman DelCSaxman@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Charles W. Carrico, Sr. DelCCarrico@house.virginia.gov
Delegate John A. Cosgrove DelJCosgrove@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Thomas D. Gear DelTGear@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Thomas Davis Rust DelTRust@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Timothy D. Hugo DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Edward T. Scott DelEScott@house.virginia.gov
Delegate William H. Fralin, Jr. DelWFralin@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Robert Tata DelBTata@house.virginia.gov
Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi DelMLoupassi@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Barry D. Knight DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Jeion A. Ward DelJWard@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Adam P. Ebbin DelAEbbin@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Mamye E. BaCote DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Dave W. Marsden DelDMarsden@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Shannon R. Valentine DelSValentine@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Robert H. Brink DelRBrink@house.virginia.gov
Delegate David J. Toscano DelDToscano@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Paul F. Nichols DelPNichols@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Delores L. McQuinn DelDMcQuinn@house.virginia.gov

Car Hobbyists,
Delegate Cole's HB 1731 (the single license plate bill) was defeated this morning (January 20th) in the House Transportation Committee on a 15 to 1 vote. There was significant opposition from the State Police and Sheriffs' Association (law enforcement concerns - they mentioned tracking stolen cars, using license plate "readers" and Amber Alerts). There also was opposition from AAA, and VDOT (toll enforcement). Cole mentioned how it would save the Commonwealth $1 million in plate distribution fees. No one else spoke in support of the bill. Significantly, there was no mention of the drag coefficient of front plates (1% to 3%), and how that affects gas mileage (up to $65 a year for the average motorist - times 1 million vehicles equals over $60 million a year in fuel savings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions). Senator Cuccinelli had the same bill on the Senate side (SB 937), but he withdrew the bill last week. So, its dead and gone this year.

Thanks to Greg Lucyk for this update. Legislation being considered by the General Assembly is posted on the http://vaacc.org website.

If you have any questions you may respond to this by email or call me at 804-590-9583.

Fred Fann, Car Club Council of Central Virginia

Hi,

The one license plate bill was killed in committee back in January. I think it was on the 22nd. Every year for the last few years at least one bill for the one plate gets introduced and none have made it out of committee. The State Police are against it, the toll companies are against it because they photograph the front license plate on toll runners. There are several members of the General Assembly that oppose it for security reasons. In 2002 a study was done that found a savings of $2 million the first year and about a million a year after that if the state went with one plate. The General Assembly isn't interested in saving that money.
I doubt we will ever go to one plate in Virginia.

Fred