Legislature(2001 - 2002)

02/19/2002 02:03 PM Senate TRA

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                                                                                                                                
             SB 260-HISTORIC/ANTIQUE MOTOR VEHICLES                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
SENATOR  RANDY  PHILLIPS,  sponsor  SB 260,  explained  this  bill                                                              
related  to restored  and  antique vehicles  and  would allow  the                                                              
vehicle owners  to pay a one-time  fee for the vehicle  as opposed                                                              
to what they are paying now on a biannual basis.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Secondly, the  bill would  allow for the  owner of the  vehicle to                                                              
get  an  Alaskan  license  plate  in  the  year  the  vehicle  was                                                              
manufactured.    He  said  for example  he  has  a  1969  Plymouth                                                              
Roadrunner and if this bill were  to pass and he desired to have a                                                              
plate from 1969 it would be a white  plate.  A lot of other states                                                              
have similar provisions in their  laws to allow antique or classic                                                              
car owners to have this.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN COWDERY  asked if you identify  it as an  antique vehicle                                                              
on the plate.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS said that was correct.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He said  the Antique  Auto Mushers  Association had endorsed  this                                                              
legislation.  It has a zero fiscal note.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BRUCE CAMPBELL, President, Model  T Ford Club, member Antique Auto                                                              
Mushers  of Alaska,  said they  wanted to  be able  to use  senior                                                              
license plates on antique or historic  vehicles for several years.                                                              
They worked with Mary Marshburn,  Director of DMV, to come up with                                                              
this legislation.   It would allow them to complete  restoring old                                                              
cars and  put them  back in the  exact shape  they were  when they                                                              
came out of the  factory.  Putting on the same  year license plate                                                              
makes the restoration complete and  identifies the year of the car                                                              
for people who are  admiring it.  He said this is  not going to be                                                              
a big  thing because the  bill specified  the plates used  for the                                                              
antique vehicles  have to be supplied  by the owner  and acquiring                                                              
those plates  can be quite  a task.   With this bill  the historic                                                              
vehicle owner will  have two options, he can continue  on with the                                                              
existing law  and the existing historic  plate or he can  elect to                                                              
get the same year plate.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DICK HEMMINGSEN, Vice President,  Antique Auto Mushers Association                                                              
Anchorage Chapter, said  they are in support of SB  260.  They are                                                              
active all over Alaska.  Some of  their recent activities included                                                              
cars  traveling to  Kodiak  Island, Fairbanks  and  Denali.   They                                                              
participated  in the Anchorage  Fur Rendezvous,  the Alaska  State                                                              
Fair, the Bear  Paw Festival in Eagle River and  the Senior Center                                                              
in Palmer.   They take  their cars quite  seriously and  this bill                                                              
would allow them  to complete their restoration process.   He owns                                                              
two 1956 Fords.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked where the $10 in the bill came from.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CAMPBELL said  existing  law  provided for  historic  license                                                              
plates and  the fee for  an historic license  was $10.   With this                                                              
bill they would  still pay the $10 for the historic  license plate                                                              
but if they  elect to use the  same year license plate  they would                                                              
have to pay an additional fee of $30.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR said  that is a one-time fee and the  only time you                                                              
would have to pay it again is if  you replace the plates.  He said                                                              
on page  2, line  9, where  it says  "one time  only upon  initial                                                              
registration" only related  to the payment of the  fee not the use                                                              
of the  vehicle.   Page 2,  line 16,  says "driven  or moved  on a                                                              
highway  for  the  primary purpose  of  historical  exhibition  or                                                              
similar activity" restricts  the use of the vehicle.    He said he                                                              
wanted to make  sure they were not in any way  further restricting                                                              
how the  vehicle could  be used.   He  has a  1935 Ford pickup  he                                                              
fully restored  and uses  two or  three times  a year, usually  in                                                              
parades.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MARY MARSHBURN,  Director, Division of Motor Vehicles  (DMV), said                                                              
Deputy Director  Chuck Hosack was with  her.  He had  followed the                                                              
bill in 2001.  DMV had no objection to the bill.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said  he was struggling with the concept  that a car                                                              
24  years  younger  than  he could  be  designated  an  historical                                                              
vehicle.   He would  have preferred  it  if they  made it any  car                                                              
produced before 1948.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR said he was excited  because the current vehicle he                                                              
drives is only two years away from being historical.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said in his family they call that a junker.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR  said that is what  they call it in his  family too                                                              
but as long as it runs he keeps using it.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  TAYLOR  moved  SB  260  from  committee  with  individual                                                              
recommendations  and attached zero  fiscal note.   There  being no                                                              
object, the motion carried.                                                                                                     

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