$2 hike to license plate fee
Updated: November 29, 2012
SPRINGFIELD -- It looks like drivers will have to pay more to renew their license plates. Lawmakers voted to raise the cost by $2.00. WCIA-3's Brittany Harris finds out what will happen to that extra money.
It's earmarked for the Department of Natural Resources to help offset some of its budget cuts. Agency officials say they couldn't be happier about it, but drivers don't like the idea of having to continually pay more.
Every car, on every road, in every city needs a license plate sticker. It costs $99 to renew, but soon, it will cost a little more.
"I think it's ridiculous. I think it needs to go down instead of going up to help the people who are having a hard time, robbing Peter to pay Paul."
DNR director Mark Miller says, in the past twelve years, it's lost more than half of its funding and staff.
"We have plenty of work to do, roads, roofs, sewage treatment plants, shelters; all of those things need to be repaired, fixed, maintained. And, we haven't had the resources to do that."
Miller says they won't see the revenue right away, but, once everything gets set up and put into place, DNR could rake in about $33 million per year.
"I don't support it."
"I don't support it either. Two dollars might not seem like nothing to people with a lot of money, but people that don't have any, two dollars is quite a lot."
"How do they expect people, okay, here's two dollars, okay, now you're two dollars short of getting your medicine?"
Miller says the department wasn't left with many options. Another proposal would have cost even more, requiring people to buy passes for state parks.
Even so, drivers say they shouldn't have to foot the bill. It's not a done deal just yet. Governor Quinn still has to sign the bill.
Miller says he's talked with Quinn who's on board with the $2.00 hike. If it's approved, the new cost will go into effect January 1, 2013.
It's earmarked for the Department of Natural Resources to help offset some of its budget cuts. Agency officials say they couldn't be happier about it, but drivers don't like the idea of having to continually pay more.
Every car, on every road, in every city needs a license plate sticker. It costs $99 to renew, but soon, it will cost a little more.
"I think it's ridiculous. I think it needs to go down instead of going up to help the people who are having a hard time, robbing Peter to pay Paul."
DNR director Mark Miller says, in the past twelve years, it's lost more than half of its funding and staff.
"We have plenty of work to do, roads, roofs, sewage treatment plants, shelters; all of those things need to be repaired, fixed, maintained. And, we haven't had the resources to do that."
Miller says they won't see the revenue right away, but, once everything gets set up and put into place, DNR could rake in about $33 million per year.
"I don't support it."
"I don't support it either. Two dollars might not seem like nothing to people with a lot of money, but people that don't have any, two dollars is quite a lot."
"How do they expect people, okay, here's two dollars, okay, now you're two dollars short of getting your medicine?"
Miller says the department wasn't left with many options. Another proposal would have cost even more, requiring people to buy passes for state parks.
Even so, drivers say they shouldn't have to foot the bill. It's not a done deal just yet. Governor Quinn still has to sign the bill.
Miller says he's talked with Quinn who's on board with the $2.00 hike. If it's approved, the new cost will go into effect January 1, 2013.
