Bill Calling For 1 License Plate Per Car Gets A ‘No’ From Cops

A bill proposed by East Dundee Republican Representative Allen Skillicorn would instruct the secretary of state’s office to issue only one license plate to drivers, instead of two.

Lots of states have the one car/one plate law, but Skillicorn's bill has run into some stiff resistance from a group that pays even more attention to license plates than the average car owner--Illinois law enforcement.

Cops say that removing the front license plate from Illinois' cars would make it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs.

From the Pantagraph:

Opposition also is coming from the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, a spokesperson for the organization said, because the front license plate is a “tool we use in our toolbox. We don’t need any more restrictions.”

The Illinois Tollway Authority also remains opposed to the legislation, said Senior Communications Manager Dan Rozek.

“The loss of the front plate would disrupt the technology used by the Tollway to collect tolls, which often relies on matching the front plate with the rear plate to identify a vehicle,” Rozek said.

Rozek went on to say that could jeopardize as many as three million transactions annually, at a loss of more than $6 million. Illinois spends $3.20 to manufacture two license plates, according to a news release from Skillicorn’s office. Making only one would save 60 cents.

Pantagraph:

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson from Secretary of State Jesse White’s office said, “The secretary of state joins law enforcement in opposition to this legislation based on the public safety concerns voiced by the law enforcement groups.”