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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Members of the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities and Technology Committee told Sen. Dan Eastman they would support his bill eliminating front license plates only if it applies just to commercial vehicles.
"I'll have some further discussions and make a decision on this," Eastman said.
The Bountiful Republican has said the state could save nearly $1 million a year by repealing the front license plate requirement.
Eastman said he drafted the bill in response to concerns raised by the trucking industry. He said truckers often are detained at ports of entry if they do not have front license plates.
But Eastman said he decided to expand the bill to apply to all vehicles after determining that the front license plate requirement is a major inconvenience.
"The reality is that 30 percent of the people out there don't display a front plate," Eastman said, adding that the law is seldom enforced. "We always look for the opportunity to save some money in government."
Eastman said the front license plates, which 19 states don't require, are a "small tool" for law enforcement officers.
But Dan Fallows of the Department of Public Safety told the committee Tuesday that it is one they would like to keep.
Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, chairman of the committee, said he believes some officers use the front license plate requirement as a pretext to make traffic stops before writing tickets for seat belt violations, a secondary offense.
"In concept, frankly, I have a real issue with that, a huge issue with that, and I know from very personal experience that that does happen," Killpack said.
But the majority of committee members said they would like to see Eastman revise the bill.
"If the trucks are a problem, let's solve that," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo.
------ Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-01-18-06 2055MST
