HB 166, removing a requirement for vehicles in Alaska to have a front license plate, has passed the House and moves to the Senate.
Rep. Kevin McCabe, prime sponsor of the bill, said the savings to the state is estimated to be $330,000 every year.
“I was honored to see HB166 pass the House floor today. This bill was a result of looking for efficiencies that would result in savings to our state budget no matter the amount. I am happy to take smaller, long-term steps towards a more sustainable budget and this bill does that,” McCabe said. Twenty other states don’t require front license plates, including the most recent one to eliminate the requirement, Ohio, he said.
Voting against the bill were mostly Democrats — Reps. Harriet Drummond, Zack Fields, Sara Hannan, Andy Josephson, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Liz Snyder, Ivy Spohnholz, Geran Tarr. Republicans David Eastman and Chris Kurka also voted against it, as a wedge has developed between them and the bill’s sponsor McCabe, who has recently called them out for their scorched-earth tactics.
In favor of the bill were Reps. Ben Carpenter, Matt Claman, Mike Cronk, Bryce Edgmon, Neal Foster, Ron Gillham, Grier Hopkins, DeLena Johnson, James Kaufman, Bart LeBon, Kevin McCabe, Ken McCarty, Tom McKay, Kelly Merrick, David Nelson, Daniel Ortiz, Josiah Patkotak, Mike Prax, Sara Rasmussen, George Rauscher, Calvin Schrage, Laddie Shaw, Andi Story, Louise Stutes, Steve Thompson, Cathy Tilton, Chris Tuck, Sarah Vance, and Adam Wool.
