HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

March 12, 2003 Hearing Room 357

8:30 AM Tapes 47 - 48

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Alan Brown, Chair

Rep. Elizabeth Beyer, Vice-Chair

Rep. John Mabrey Vice-Chair

Rep. Jackie Dingfelder

Rep. George Gilman

Rep. Mitch Greenlick

Rep. Cliff Zauner

STAFF PRESENT: Janet Adkins, Administrator

Ryan Sherlock, Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 2571 – Public Hearing

HB 2398 – Work Session

HB 2573 – Public Hearing and Work Session

HB 2774 – Public Hearing

HB 2993 – Public Hearing

HB 3138 – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
Tape 47, A
003	Chair Brown	Calls the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m., and opens a public hearing on HB 2571.
HB 2571 – PUBLIC HEARING
005	Janet Adkins	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2571.
020	Rep. Mary Gallegos	House District 29. Offers written testimony (EXHIBIT A) in support of HB 2571.
055	Rep. Dingfelder	Thanks Rep. Gallegos for her testimony, and ask if she received any research from the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services regarding the revenues received from vanity license plates.
065	Rep. Gallegos	Explains that this bill is not a fix-all, but just another tool to use.
075	Chair Brown	Recesses the public hearing on HB 2571, and opens a work session on HB 2398.
HB 2398 – WORK SESSION
080	Janet Adkins	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2398 and the proposed -3 amendments (EXHIBIT B).
095	Chair Brown	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT HB 2398-3 amendments dated 03/11/03.
		VOTE: 6-0 EXCUSED: 1 - Mabrey
	Chair	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
100	Rep. Beyer	MOTION: Moves HB 2398 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
115	Rep. Greenlick	Commends Janet Adkins for her work on the bill.
120		VOTE: 6-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye. EXCUSED: 1 - Mabrey
	Chair Brown	The motion CARRIES. GREENLICK will lead discussion on the floor.
130	Chair Brown	Closes the work session on HB 2398, and opens a public hearing on HB 2573.
HB 2573 – PUBLIC HEARING
135	Janet Adkins	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2573.
145	Rep. Greenlick	Clarifies that all trailers are not required to be registered.
147	Adkins	Explains that registration is based on weight.
150	Steve Knebel	Scappoose, Oregon. Offers written testimony (EXHIBIT C) in support of HB 2573.
200	Kelly Taylor	Oregon Department of Transportation, DMV. Offers testimony regarding HB 2573.
215	Chair Brown	Asks how much use the antique plates can be.
220	Taylor	Explains the difference between antique plates and regular use plates, including where and when they can be used.
235	Rep. Greenlick	Asks if any other vehicles would fall into the category if the “motor” were eliminated from motor vehicle, as the bill would do.
240	Taylor	Explains that it would basically be only trailers.
245	Rep. Zauner	Asks if there would be any need to create new plates.
250	Taylor	Explains that there would be no need to make new plates.
260	Chair Brown	Closes the public hearing on HB 2573, and opens a work session on HB 2573.
HB 2573 – WORK SESSION
265	Rep. Zauner	MOTION: Moves HB 2573 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
270	Adkins	Points out the definition of an antique.
275		VOTE: 7-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye.
	Chair Brown	The motion CARRIES.
280	Rep. Greenlick	MOTION: Moves HB 2573 be placed on the CONSENT CALENDAR.
		VOTE: 7-0
	Chair Brown	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
285	Chair Brown	Closes the work session on HB 2573, and opens a work session on HB 2571.
290	Rep. Mabrey	MOTION: Requests unanimous consent that the rules be SUSPENDED to allow REP. MABREY to BE RECORDED as voting AYE on the MOTION: Moves HB 2398 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
295		VOTE: 7-0
	Chair Brown	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
300	Chair Brown	Closes the work session on HB 2573, and opens a public hearing on HB 2571.
HB 2571 – PUBLIC HEARING
315	Andrea Morgan	Oregon Department of Education. Offers testimony regarding HB 2571.
320	Mordale Dunsworth	Oregon Department of Education. Offers testimony regarding HB 2571.
325	Chair Brown	Opens a public hearing on HB 2774, 2993, 3138.
HB 2571, 2774, 2993, 3138 – PUBLIC HEARING
335	Kelly Taylor	Oregon Department of Transportation. Offers testimony regarding HB 2571, 2774, 2993, 3138 with reference to (EXHIBIT D).
TAPE 48, A
045	Taylor	Continues with testimony regarding HB 2571, including the administrative and budgetary problems associated with contests.
230	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks how the public and dealers are notified about new plates.
235	Taylor	Explains how dealers and customers are notified about and may obtain the plates, explaining that direct advertising would be a misuse of highway money.
275	Rep. Steve March	House District 46. Offers testimony in support of HB 2993, and asks Ms. Taylor if it is more economical to issue new plates all at once.
305	Taylor	Explains that there is some efficiency from processing the new plate designs at the same time, but the process is still substantial.
320	Rep. Zauner	Clarifies that the startup for a new plate is $150,000.
325	Taylor	Acknowledges that new plates are $150,000.
330	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether any specialty plate has recovered the cost through sales.
335	Taylor	Explains that the new plates cost $150,000, but plates with the group name on them cost about $4000.
340	Rep. Mabrey	Clarifies figures on the funds being distributed.
345	Taylor	Acknowledges that the funds in question are what have been distributed to the group.
350	Rep. Greenlick	Clarifies that the plate proposed by HB 3138 would not be a new plate, but a symbol added to a plate.
355	Taylor	Explains that as the bill is written it would require DMV issuing an entirely new plate. Explains which groups can use symbols and which are required to use only lettering.
370	Rep. Greenlick	Recalls that the intent of HB 3138 was not to create an entirely new plate.
375	Rep. Dingfelder	Points out that the language in the bill does indicate the use of a symbol the “Star of Life.”
380	Taylor	Explains that as the bill is written with the symbol language it would require a new plate be issued.
385	Rep. Greenlick	Restates that creating a new plate was not his intent in supporting the bill.
390	Chair Brown	Points out that Rep. March’s plate would need $100 thousand dollars which would come from the general fund.
395	Rep. March	Explains where the $100,000 figure came from, and where the money would need to come from.
TAPE 47, B
015	Chair Brown	Invites Rep. Johnson to offer testimony regarding HB 2774.
020	Rep. Betsy Johnson	House District 31. Offers testimony in support of HB 2774, and outlines the function and efforts of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Organization.
065	Rep. Greenlick	Ask whether there is any danger of making the license plates difficult to do its primary duty of displaying the plate number.
075	Rep. March	Explains that he did not envision making an entirely new design.
085	Rep. Johnson	Explains that while visibility is an issue, raising cancer awareness is also an important issue.
100	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether there could be any means to better figure the interest in the proposed plates, to clarify the interest.
110	Rep. March	Points out that California currently has cancer awareness plates, and possibly those numbers could be used to figure the interest in Oregon.
115	Taylor	Expresses concern for using information regarding specialty plates sales from other states.
130	Rep. Beyer	Ask if there has been any effort to require the organizations to pay the costs upfront.
135	Taylor	Observes that some types of plates are required to be funded by the group upfront; however other plates are funded through state funds.
160	Rep. Zauner	Refers to the groups which are supposed to pay the costs of the plates, and asks if the state was ever paid back for these costs.
165	Taylor	Explains that the state paid the initial costs up front.
170	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether a mailing could be sent out with a list of possible specialty plates and whether people would purchase those plates.
175	Taylor	Explains that she is unsure whether highway fund money could be used for this purpose.
185	Chair Brown	Asks if HB 2993 would require a new plate.
190	Taylor	Clarifies that the plate proposed would require an amendment to statute 805.205; however the statute would currently allow the group to place their name on the plate without a change in statute.
200	Rep. Greenlick	Asks how much it costs to just place the name on the plate.
205	Taylor	Guesses the cost would be around $15,000.
210	Chair Brown	Clarifies that by just placing the name of the group on the plate no legislation is required.
215	Taylor	Acknowledges that placing the name could be done under current law.
217	Chair Brown	Points out the Lewis and Clark bicentennial is unique and could warrant an entirely new plate, but clarifies that this would then cost $150,000.
220	Taylor	Acknowledges that the cost would be around $150,000.
225	Rep. Johnson	Observes that the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Organization would not want to fund that amount of money upfront.
235	Chair Brown	Asks what amount of money has been budgeted by the state for the bicentennial activities.
240	Rep. Johnson	Explains that the original request was $300,000 but by the end of the special sessions the funding was $97,500.
260	Rep. Zauner	Asks whether the license plate frame could be used to promote the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.
265	Rep. Johnson	Invites Rep. Zauner to pursue this possibility, and further discusses promotion of the event.
290	Chair Brown	Thanks the representatives for their testimony, and explains that HB 3138’s requester is unable to be at the meeting, so it will be held over to the next meeting.
295	Rep. Zauner	Comments on his disinterest in seeing his bill cost the state, so it may need an amendment.
300	Adkins	Asks whether the sponsors require a symbol or would be happy with wording.
305	Rep. Greenlick	Expresses the need to meet with the requester and rework the bill.
310	Rep. Beyer	Asks whether additional spots would need to be created in this case.
315	Taylor	Explains that this requires more money to create the additional infrastructure.
325	Chair Brown	Closes the public hearing on HB 2571, 2774, 2993, and 3138. Adjourns the meeting at 9:51 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 2571, written testimony, Rep. Mary Gallegos, 1 p.

B – HB 2398, -3 amendment, Staff, 5 pp.

C – HB 2573, written testimony, Steve Knebel, 1 p.

D – HB 2571, 2774, 2993, 3138, Specialty and Group Plate Information, Kelly Taylor, 1 p.