Redesign eyed for standard license plate

House panel OKs fees for challenging school books

Amid widespread controversy about removing books from school shelves, the Florida House is moving forward with a bill that could lead to fees for people who challenge numerous library books or learning materials.

The House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee on Thursday approved a bill (HB 7025) that calls for people who make objections to more than five instructional materials during a calendar year to be assessed $100 for each additional objection. The proposed fees would apply to “a parent or resident who does not have a student enrolled in the school” where the material is located.

School districts would have to return money to people if their objections are upheld.

The fee issue is included in a broader House bill about school regulations. The Senate last week passed a package of three school “deregulation” bills that are a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. The Senate package did not include the fee requirement.

Challenges to school-library books and instructional materials based on claims that they contain inappropriate content has become a political battleground in recent years.

According to a House staff analysis, Florida had 1,218 objections to books and other materials during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, resulting in 386 books being removed from schools.

Members of the Republican-dominated House

Choice & Innovation Subcommittee voted unanimously Thursday to advance the bill, after arguments from people on both sides of the larger debate about school-book scrutiny.

The word “Florida” without a website address might be coming back to the state’s standard license plate.

A proposal slated to go to the House Transportation & Modals Subcommittee today would direct the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to begin the redesign of the standard license plate. The bill (PCB TMS 24-01) would direct that “MyFLorida.com” be replaced on the plate with the word “Florida.”

In November, Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said talks were underway to update the design.

A 2003 change in the standard design included two oranges and an orange blossom. It also splashed the web address “MyFlorida.com” across the top, where before it had simply said “Florida.” The standard plate also includes along the bottom the words “Sunshine State,” “In God We Trust” or, in some counties, the county name.

Under the House proposal, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles would have until Oct. 1 to start the redesign process. The redesign wouldn’t apply to more than 170 specialty plates.

— Compiled from news service reports