Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Assault on Specialty License Plates

There are more than 180 specialty license plates currently available for purchase from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The majority of plates were developed specifically to benefit agencies and charities around the state.

House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1278 include provisions to take 50% of annual specialty plate revenue going to charitable organizations or agencies, to attempt to fix the $23 billion budget deficit.

What bill authors don't realize is that this move to deplete critical funding from cash-strapped charities and other organizations would only generate a little more than $1 million annually - a drop in the bucket compared to the state deficit. (See below for detailed breakdown.)

What you can do

Every call, e-mail, or visit to a legislative office counts! Phone numbers and email address for the Senate Finance Committee are below, contact them immediately to ask them to remove the specialty license plate provisions from SB 1278. Follow these guidelines for addressing your representative, and be sure to state that you are a constituent or how you are tied to the district.

If you represent an organization that receives revenue from a specialty license plate, contact Robin Stallings at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 512-476-7433 and add your name to the fast-growing coalition (see below).

Send a blank email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to join the email list and get the most up-to-the-minute information about the progress of these bills and what you can do to help remove these provisions.

Senate Finance Committee Members

Sen. Steve Ogden (Committee Chair)
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(512) 463-0105

Sen. Juan Hinojosa (Committee Vice Chair)
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(512) 463-0120

Sen. Bob Deuell
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(512) 463-0102

Sen. Robert Duncan
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(512) 463-0128

Sen. Kevin Eltife
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(512) 463-0101 

Sen. Craig Estes
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(512) 463-0130 

Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr.
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(512) 463-0127

Sen. Jane Nelson
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(512) 463-0112

Sen. Dan Patrick
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(512) 463-0107

Sen. Kel Seliger
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(512) 463-0131 

Sen. Florence Shapiro
florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0108

Sen. Royce West
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(512) 463-0123

Sen. John Whitmire
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(512) 463-0115 

Sen. Tommy Williams
tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0104

Sen. Judith Zaffirini
judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0121

Charity License Plate Coalition Organizations

Alliance for Life

American Quarter Horse Association

BikeTexas

Friends of Big Bend

Knights of Columbus

March of Dimes

Texas CASA

Texas BASS Federation Nation

Texas State Rifle Association

How the numbers break down

In 2010, revenue of approximately $16,330,000 was collected from the sale of specialty license plates in Texas.

Out of the $16,330,00 total revenue, highway and general funds received about $10,811,000. Also, a private vendor firm, MyPlates.com, received $2,740,624 in commission. This leaves $2,779,000 for agencies and charities. Under HB 1 / SB 1278, this money for agencies and charities would be cut in half, while MyPlates.com would continue to receive its existing commission.

For 2010, the approximate breakdowns of beneficiaries from the charity plate are as follows:

• Scholarships: $515,000
• State Agencies: $618,000
• Grant and Non-profits: $1,463,200
• Municipalities: $181,700

The specialty plates provision in the appropriations bill will not balance the budget. Since agencies and charities only receive about $2,779,000, based on the 2010 statistics, and the bill proposes to take 50 of that revenue, the state would receive a little more than $1 million annually.

The state currently has a budget deficit of over $23 billion. This money taken from agencies and charities would be a drop in the bucket.