It’s not abortion. It’s not voting rights. It’s not taxes.
But yet the announcement of a new Kansas license plate design the day before Thanksgiving has engendered a controversy on which everyone seems to have an opinion.
“Who would have thought a license plate would bring us all together for Thanksgiving?” asked former state Rep. Fred Patton on Facebook.
“No debates about politics, no discussions about religion, just agreement that the new license plate needs to go back to the drawing board,” the former Topeka lawmaker wrote.
In a statement Wednesday, the governor said the new design “promotes the state and our sense of optimism as Kansans travel near and far.
“It serves as a reminder that there are endless possibilities and that we should always reach for the stars,” she said
The new plate, however, has been widely panned since it was revealed Wednesday morning.
For the record, the state says the new plate displays a wheat-yellow color in the background with black and midnight blue text.
However, it’s been compared to University of Missouri colors – or for that matter the colors at Wichita State, Fort Hays State or Emporia State. There’s even been a comparison to the Pittsburgh Steelers colors.
Worse yet for some Republicans, they see a plate design form New York state, which in their view embodies the worst of liberal politics.
“First our NY born Gov brings NY policies. Now NY plates!” Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Republicans weren’t the only ones upset over the new Kansas design.
“What in the straight hell is this design? Absolutely not,” Democratic state Rep. Brandon Woodard posted on X.
Former Commerce Department official David Soffer, who is from New York, called the design “horrible” and said it should be redone.
“I am getting severe PTSD from my days in New York,” he wrote on X.
Regardless of the reason, social media has been on fire with criticism of the plate design throughout the Thanksgiving holiday.
“I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I ever put a black and yella license plate on any car I own…,” wrote John Shoemaker.
Others posted on social media that they were “embarrassed” by the design. Others called it “pathetic” and ridiculous.”
Now, Republican state Rep. Nick Hoheisel is taking matters into his own hands.
He sent a letter to the governor and the state revenue secretary on Friday morning asking for a delay in the new plate design, which is supposed to start next March.
“While I acknowledge the necessity for safety improvements and the replacement of deteriorating embossed plates, it is evident that the public response to the new design has been less than favorable,” Hoheisel wrote in a letter sent Friday morning.
“There is a consensus that we can, and should, strive for a better design that resonates positively with the citizens of Kansas, distinct from the New York-style license plate
proposed,” he wrote.
Hoheisel, who sits on the House transportation committee, urged the governor to set up a process where Kansans could share their ideas about a new plate design.
“By fostering this avenue for public input, we aim to cultivate a heightened sense of civic engagement among the residents, allowing them to play a meaningful role in shaping a symbol of our state’s identity,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, the Legislature was not given the opportunity to review or discuss the new design until merely an hour before its public announcement.
“This limited time for assessment and discussion does not align with the significance of this decision for the people of Kansas,” he wrote.
Hoheisel asked the governor and the Revenue Department to delay the rollout of the new plates until the Legislature convenes in January and can review the matter.
“This delay would allow us the opportunity to thoroughly study our options, engage with the public for their feedback, and ensure that any changes made regarding license plate designs reflect the desires and values of our constituents.”
The governor’s office did not immediately comment Friday morning.
Officials say there was a design constraint. They said the plate needed to be clear for law enforcement, which wanted to remove as many elements from the plate as possible.
Republican state Rep. Shannon Francis, chair of the House transportation committee, said the governor should reexamine the plate design.
“I think since so many Kansans are upset with the design, the governor needs to reconsider and come up with a design that better reflects Kansas values,” Francis said an interview Friday morning.
Republican state Rep. Blake Carpenter, the House speaker pro tem, generally agreed with Hoheisel in a Facebook post as well.
“I’ve got to say, I do not like the future license plate of Kansas. I agree with a comment made on the post by Rep. Nick Hoheisel that we should open up the design process to Kansas citizens and pick the best designed plate.”
In a separate post, Carpenter said he thought the new design would lead to more drivers buying the plate with the Gadsden flag design.
Republican state Rep. Les Mason shared a similar view on Facebook.
“I see a spike in vanity plate sales,” he wrote.
Devin Wilson, a public education advocate, started taking a poll on X to get some limited sense of what people want in a plate design.
“Kansas jumps the shark with #Mizzou-themed license plate design, instead of something more reasonable,” he wrote on Twitter.
Please vote here!
(or reply with your alternative preference)— Devin 'Brick' Wilson 🇺🇸 (@ksucats96) November 23, 2023
