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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the |
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first license plate issued by the State of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Introduced in 1917, state-issued license plates |
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were originally made of sheet iron and featured embossed numbers |
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painted white on a dark blue background, with the abbreviation |
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"TEX" on the right-hand side; before that time, Texans were |
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responsible for obtaining their own license plates, which could be |
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either homemade or purchased from such places as saddle and |
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blacksmith shops; and |
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WHEREAS, The state prison system began manufacturing license |
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plates in 1935, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
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estimates that by 2016, inmates had created some 650 million |
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plates; in 1965, the Texas Highway Department, now known as the |
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Texas Department of Transportation, started offering personalized |
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vanity plates to the public for an additional fee; and |
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WHEREAS, As technology advanced through the decades, so did |
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the manufacture of Texas license plates; TxDOT began producing |
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digitally printed, vinyl-covered aluminum plates in 2009, and three |
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years later, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the |
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current general-issue plate, which utilizes black type on a white |
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background and holographic security features; the Texas DMV now |
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offers 420 plate designs in addition to the general scheme, |
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including many that honor military veterans; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past century, as the automobile industry |
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has evolved to become a vital sector of the U.S. economy and a |
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dominant influence on both American society and the national |
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landscape, vehicle license plates have themselves become a |
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ubiquitous, critical element of American life; their sale generates |
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revenue for a variety of state programs, and their role as |
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identifying markers provides essential aid to law enforcement |
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officers in the performance of their work; incidental to their |
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primary function, the plates have achieved a hold on the popular |
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consciousness, becoming collector's items, a means of personal |
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expression, and even a decorative feature, notably in countless |
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roadside diners; and |
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WHEREAS, A humble, unobtrusive object, the license plate |
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serves a number of purposes, from the essential to the whimsical, |
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and it is indeed fitting that this milestone anniversary be |
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recognized; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby commemorate the centennial of the first state-issued license |
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plate in the Lone Star State. |