02/17/2011 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

               HB 111-LICENSE PLATES: CHOOSE LIFE                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:33:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that the  next order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO.  111, "An  Act relating to  special request  choose life                                                               
license plates; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:34:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHARISSE MILLETT,  Alaska State Legislature, presented  HB 111 as                                                               
sponsor.   She  said HB  111 would  allow the  Division of  Motor                                                               
Vehicles  to  issue  a  specialty  license  plate,  on  which  is                                                               
written, "Choose  Life."   The fee  for the  plate would  be $30.                                                               
The license plate would also depict  the faces of a boy and girl.                                                               
Representative Millett  said 26  other states have  "Choose Life"                                                               
license  plates, and  15 other  states currently  are considering                                                               
legislation to approve the "Choose Life" license plate.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:35:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RUSS  AMERLING,  National  Publicity Coordinator,  "Choose  Life"                                                               
License Plate,  testified in support of  HB 111.  He  said Choose                                                               
Life,  Inc. was  formed  to  get the  license  plate approved  in                                                               
Florida, and the incorporation has  offered its services to other                                                               
states who  want "Choose Life"  license plates.  He  relayed that                                                               
over  625,000 "Choose  Life"  license plates  have  been sold  or                                                               
renewed in the states that have the plate approved.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:36:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. AMERLING, in  response to Chair Lynn, said  the "Choose Life"                                                               
plate was  first issued in  Florida in  August of 2000,  and over                                                               
the next four years, as  various other states approved the plate,                                                               
there were  groups who filed  suit.   However, he said  those law                                                               
suits ultimately  failed to  prevent the  plates from  being made                                                               
available, and there have been no law suits filed since 2005.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:38:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN,  after ascertaining  that there was  no one  else who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:38:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  moved to  report HB  111 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 111 was reported out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.