85R21691 RMA-D
 
  By: Pickett H.C.R. No. 124
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the
  first license plate issued by the State of Texas; and
         WHEREAS, Introduced in 1917, state-issued license plates
  were originally made of sheet iron and featured embossed numbers
  painted white on a dark blue background, with the abbreviation
  "TEX" on the right-hand side; before that time, Texans were
  responsible for obtaining their own license plates, which could be
  either homemade or purchased from such places as saddle and
  blacksmith shops; and
         WHEREAS, The state prison system began manufacturing license
  plates in 1935, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
  estimates that by 2016, inmates had created some 650 million
  plates; in 1965, the Texas Highway Department, now known as the
  Texas Department of Transportation, started offering personalized
  vanity plates to the public for an additional fee; and
         WHEREAS, As technology advanced through the decades, so did
  the manufacture of Texas license plates; TxDOT began producing
  digitally printed, vinyl-covered aluminum plates in 2009, and three
  years later, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the
  current general-issue plate, which utilizes black type on a white
  background and holographic security features; the Texas DMV now
  offers 420 plate designs in addition to the general scheme,
  including many that honor military veterans; and
         WHEREAS, Over the past century, as the automobile industry
  has evolved to become a vital sector of the U.S. economy and a
  dominant influence on both American society and the national
  landscape, vehicle license plates have themselves become a
  ubiquitous, critical element of American life; their sale generates
  revenue for a variety of state programs, and their role as
  identifying markers provides essential aid to law enforcement
  officers in the performance of their work; incidental to their
  primary function, the plates have achieved a hold on the popular
  consciousness, becoming collector's items, a means of personal
  expression, and even a decorative feature, notably in countless
  roadside diners; and
         WHEREAS, A humble, unobtrusive object, the license plate
  serves a number of purposes, from the essential to the whimsical,
  and it is indeed fitting that this milestone anniversary be
  recognized; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby commemorate the centennial of the first state-issued license
  plate in the Lone Star State.