License Plates in Texas are Now Optional Thanks to a Mistake by the State Legislature - Texas Legislature mistakenly removes penalty for failing to display a license plate.
House Bill 2357 was passed into law during the 2011 Texas Legislative Session
As part of the update, the new law deleted the license plate statute, returning parts of it to Section 502.473 and 504.943. In moving around the legal language, the bill went through the entire legislative process without anybody noticing that a key line was deleted without providing a replacement: "An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $200."
Without a penalty for driving without a license plate, it is not clear whether police officers or courts would have the authority to impose a punishment on drivers who chose not to display license plates or registration stickers, especially in jurisdictions that still use red light cameras. Driving with a false or altered plate remains a misdemeanor, however. Lawmakers will not have a chance to remedy their mistake until January 8, 2013 when the legislature reconvenes, unless Governor Perry calls a special session specifically to address the license plate issue.
Texas Choose Life License Plates Now Available
Click Here to order you Choose life License Plates!
According to LifeNews.com, Motorists in Texas now have the opportunity to purchase Choose Life license plates, the sales of which will benefit efforts to help women find abortion alternatives and promote adoption. During the 82nd Regular Session, the Legislature overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 257, authored by State Senator John Carona (R-Dallas) and sponsored by State Representative Larry Phillips (R-Sherman), to allow the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TXDMV) to create the plate. On May 17, Gov. Rick Perry signed the bill into law.
During the debate in the legislature, Rep. Jessica Farrar, a Democrat from Houston, went as far as trying to change the plates from Choose Life to Choose Adoption because she didn’t like the pro-life message they send, calling it “seriously flawed.”
