Illinois to sell “Land of Obama” license plates?
President Lincoln was unavailable to comment…
Illinois’ license plates proudly boast we’re the Land of Lincoln. Now, we’re the Land of Obama, too. So what would happen if state leaders gave drivers the option of buying a special license plate to commemorate Barack Obama’s historic inauguration as president?
Judging by calls to Secretary of State Jesse White’s office and an examination of state records, the idea might offer a boost for the state’s cash-strapped budget.
So far, there’s only one set of “OBAMA” license plates in Illinois and Bill Slater of Wicker Park has it.
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The secretary of state has been getting 10 to 15 calls a day since Obama’s Nov. 4 victory asking if an Obama commemorative plate is in the works, White spokesman Dave Druker said.
Specialty plates bring the state millions of dollars each year. An Obama plate — priced higher than normal plates, of course — might bring in money that could be used for any number of purposes.
“A Barack Obama presidential plate is unlikely to be able to address the main structural financial problems facing the state, but it could provide valuable revenue that might allow the state to keep historic sites and state parks open,” says Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a government watchdog organization in Chicago. “Certainly, there is enormous interest in Illinois in support of Barack Obama. The opportunity for Illinois to celebrate his inauguration and provide additional funding to the state is something that would seem to be obvious.”
Illinois law requires the General Assembly to pass legislation before specialty plates can be created.